Midwest
'America has DOGE fever': States from NJ to TX draft similar initiatives as federal leaders celebrate
The spread of DOGE-centric legislation and bureaucracies has taken off like a SpaceX rocket in several states across the country since Elon Musk and lawmakers like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., began their work this year.
Bean, chair of the bipartisan DOGE Caucus, was asked about copycat initiatives popping up around the country and remarked, “America has DOGE fever.”
“As elected officials, we must ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This means we must identify, investigate and eliminate wasteful spending.”
With a governor’s race in November and President Donald Trump only losing their state by a historically small margin, Garden State Republicans appeared bullish this week as they put forth a proposal to “bring DOGE to New Jersey.”
‘DOGE MEETS CONGRESS’: LAWMAKER LAUNCHES NEW PANEL ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY
The Congressional DOGE Caucus is led by Rep. Aaron Bean. (House of Representatives/Getty)
GOP Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Christopher DePhillips recently introduced Resolution 213 to create the NJ Delegation on Government Efficiency within the Treasury Department.
Sauickie quoted former President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 retort that “government is like a baby – an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.”
“Except babies, if raised and disciplined rightly, grow into adults who usually become productive members of society. Those adopting our state budgets show no such discipline,” Sauickie said, adding that it is time for “grownups to take responsibility and say ‘no’” to reckless spending.
Some Trenton lawmakers have painted New Jersey’s financial outlook as a “fiscal cliff,” and DePhillips blamed outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy for claiming he inherited the problem from Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
“Taxpayers want accountability for how their hard-earned money is spent,” DePhillips said.
He also called on Murphy to “stop fighting Trump” and lower New Jersey’s business taxes before the third-founded state in the union “loses out” on the potential upswing of the new administration.
Republican state Sen. Joe Pennacchio added in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he would be forming a DOGE committee in the state legislature.
“We’re mirroring what the federal government and what [Musk is] doing,” said Pennacchio.
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The “Trenton Makes” bridge that spans the Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey, and Morrisville, Pennsylvania. (Getty)
This week, Kentucky lawmakers also prioritized government efficiency measures, with Republican state Rep. Jared Bauman forwarding a bill to establish a working group to help the state treasury modernize its tax collections and accounting.
In Texas, lawmakers in both the state Senate and House are working on DOGE-centric initiatives.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Brandon Creighton, a Republican, first oversaw the passage of the strongest DEI ban in the U.S. during the 2023 session, which eliminated billions in taxpayer-funded waste and refocused public universities on education over social issues.
After DOGE formed at the federal level, Creighton said Texas is already a model for how a jurisdiction that prioritizes government efficiency will work.
“Seeing the swift action by President Trump and Elon Musk with DOGE is a welcome and necessary new era in Washington, D.C. – and I know they are just getting started,” Creighton told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
“Many have said that Washington should take notes from Texas – because the Texas economic engine is proof that when government is committed to efficiency, accountability and conservative results, taxpayers win.”
Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, officially the president of the Senate, announced a bill late last month called “Texas DOGE – Improving Government Efficiency,” according to Bloomberg.
Another reported bill by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes would form a DOGE office in the executive branch.
Meanwhile, the Texas House is considering forming a DOGE committee to analyze government efficiency through a 13-member panel.
The St. Louis, Missouri, skyline along the Mississippi River (Getty)
It would investigate fraud claims, inefficient use of tax dollars, and the use of AI, according to FOX-7.
In Missouri, Republican state Rep. Ben Baker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Missourians believe the state government is not as efficient or responsive as it should be.
“We want to look into that,” said Baker.
Baker recently announced he was named to lead the state’s new DOGE Standing Committee, adding his work will “align with federal efforts.”
In New Hampshire, newly-inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s first executive order created a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE).
“COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state,” she said in her inaugural address.
It will be led by former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews.
North Carolina also sought to get in on the DOGE trend.
Republican House Speaker Destin Hall unveiled the new NC Select Committee on Government Efficiency.
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (Reuters)
State Reps. Keith Kidwell and John Torbett, both Republicans, will lead the initiative, looking into waste, duplication, mismanagement and constitutional violations.
“As the new Trump administration rightfully takes aim at Washington D.C.’s wasteful spending and inefficient bureaucracy, it is time for us in Raleigh to do the same,” Kidwell said in a statement.
Bean, the U.S. House’s DOGE leader, further remarked on the collective efforts:
“It’s exciting to see states pick up the DOGE baton, and I applaud their efforts to improve government efficiency and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars.”
Some in Congress, however, have cast doubt on DOGE. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said at an anti-DOGE rally that some of the actions at the federal level are “completely illegal.”
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A Minnesota police sergeant and father of two died less than 24 hours after doctors diagnosed him with a brain infection, leaving behind a young family and a stunned community.
Sgt. Cody Siebert, a K-9 officer with the East Range Police Department, died Feb. 27, the department announced. He was remembered as a devoted father, loyal colleague and a fixture in the small northern Minnesota community he served.
Siebert helped launch the K-9 program in Babbitt, Minnesota, alongside his police dog, Taconite, before later joining the East Range Police Department.
“Sgt. Siebert was well known for his happy-go lucky personality,” the department wrote in a Facebook tribute. “It was best said that if you couldn’t get along with Cody, it was your fault.”
Sgt. Cody Siebert is remembered by colleagues and community members as a dedicated officer and devoted father who left a lasting impact on northern Minnesota. (East Range Police Department)
“The hole left by Sgt. Siebert’s passing will be impossible to fill,” the department added.
A GoFundMe page launched by Siebert’s family has raised more than $107,000 as of Tuesday evening. He is survived by his life partner, Karen Blais, and their two sons, ages 1 and 2.
“To know Cody was to have a friend. He had a rare gift for connection — if you crossed paths with him, you knew you were in for a genuine conversation. He truly enjoyed people, and his absence leaves a void in our community that will be felt by many,” his family wrote on the fundraising page.
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Sgt. Cody Siebert, a K-9 officer with the East Range Police Department in Minnesota, died Feb. 27 less than 24 hours after being diagnosed with a brain infection. (East Range Police Department)
Blais told The Minnesota Star Tribune that Siebert woke up last week suffering from a headache that had begun the day before. He was hospitalized, and doctors determined that an infection in his nasal passage had spread to his brain, according to the newspaper.
“He loved people — being in that position and being able to help people in general,” his brother, Brandon Siebert, told the outlet. “Not just getting the bad guys, going to the school, checking in with people.”
The tragedy comes just months after another loss in the extended family. According to the Star Tribune, Siebert’s sister-in-law, Alyssa Siebert, died last October from a brain aneurysm.
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Sgt. Cody Siebert poses with his K-9 partner, Taconite, and Chief Tim Soular. (East Range Police Department)
“We’re in a déjà vu of an unusual situation,” said his other sister-in-law, Ashley Siebert. “They both helped others the whole time. They were both great people. They’ve done more than most 30-year-olds have accomplished in their lives.”
Like his sister-in-law, Siebert donated his organs, the newspaper reported.
The East Range Police Department in Minnesota announced the unexpected death of Sgt. Cody Siebert on Feb. 27. (East Range Police Department )
Mesabi East Schools also paid tribute, remembering Siebert as someone who saw the potential in every student.
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“The impact he had on our students and staff cannot be measured. He wasn’t just our K9 officer, he was a mentor, a role model, a friend, and a steady, positive presence in our Giants community,” the school district wrote.
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A new mixed-use, mixed-income apartment building proposed for Detroit’s Brush Park is expected to bring 37 units of housing to the neighborhood, according to the project’s lead developer.
The $12 million project at 205 Watson St., known as Wallace Estates, is owned by Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley, whose legal name is Terry Wallace. The 30,000-square-foot development is expected to go before the Detroit Historic District Commission on Wednesday for review. Because the quarter-acre site sits within a historic district, the commission must approve elements such as windows, brickwork, facade materials and other architectural features.
Wallace Estates is planned to be a five-story building with the residential units across the first four floors. The ground floor is expected to include a lobby, a walk-up apartment, commercial space and tuck-under parking. A partial fifth floor will house indoor and outdoor amenities for residents. The building is designed with a masonry facade and large, offset windows, according to the project application.
“Detroit raised me — I’m a west side kid, and I’m passionate about bringing mixed-income housing to my city,” Wallace said in a statement Thursday. “The 205 Watson project is about building safe, quality housing for everybody; that respects longtime residents and welcomes new neighbors — building opportunity without pushing people out.”
The project was the winning bid of a City of Detroit request for proposals for the site, said Nevan Shokar, principal of Shokar Group and the day-to-day development lead. McIntosh Poris Architects is the designer.
“It’s an infill site that’s bringing high-quality housing, both for affordable and market-rate renters,” Shokar said. “And I think it complements the neighborhood nicely with the brick aesthetic, as well as the brass inlays in the windows.”
Construction could begin this summer and be finished in 18 months, Shokar said, placing completion at late 2027.
Wallace Estates will join a wave of new residential development in Brush Park, a neighborhood that has seen nearly a decade of revitalization. Last summer, Bedrock celebrated the completion of City Modern, a nearly 10-year effort to transform a once-neglected area of the historic district.
Shokar said the building would primarily include studios and one-bedroom units, with a few two-bedroom apartments. About 20% of the units will be designated affordable at 80% of area median income, with the remainder rented at market rates.
“The highest demand that you have within this neighborhood and across the city as a whole, is to produce more studio and one-bedroom units,” Shokar said. “The two-bedroom units sometimes and larger sometimes have a hard time filling up, leasing up within buildings, and that’s why you typically see units generally smaller in size.”
Shokar said estimated rents for the new building could range from $1,800 per month for a 450-square-foot studio to $2,700 per month for an 800-square-foot two-bedroom unit.
Shokar said the team will pursue incentives including a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax abatement and a housing tax increment financing package.
cwilliams@detroitnews.com
Illegal dumping plagues closed Pick ‘n Save
Neighbors say since a Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save at 35th and North closed in 2025, the parking lot has been filling up, but not with cars or people. It has been attracting illegal dumpers.
MILWAUKEE – Neighbors say since the Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save at 35th and North closed in 2025, the parking lot has been filling up, but not with cars or people. It has been attracting illegal dumpers.
Trash piling up
What we know:
There are old mattresses and furniture in the parking lot. There are piles of garbage at the entrance of the old grocery store. Behind the building, there are tires, more mattresses and more trash.
Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee
The Pick ‘n Save stores closed in July 2025. Since then, the building has sat empty.
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FOX6 News was contacted by a man who manages senior and family housing in the area. He said in the last couple of months, he has noticed the stile turn into a place for illegal dumping. The man said he was so fed up, he called the office of Milwaukee Alderman Russell Stamper about the problem. The man said the whole site is an eyesore, and something needs to change.
Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee
Change sought
What they’re saying:
“As the snow melts, it’s full of garbage. People are dumping furniture on it, tires,” said Jeffrey Sessions, who manages nearby property. “If you drive around it, it’s garbage everywhere. It’s unsightly for the neighborhood, and it’s probably going to create rats and mice problems.”
FOX6 News reached out to the Department of Neighborhood Services. Officials said the dumping has not been reported. They said the department’s commercial team will now be made aware of the issue.
Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee
“It makes the whole neighborhood look like garbage, like nobody’s taking care of anything around here,” Sessions said. “It’s a detriment, it’s unsightly, and it needs to be addressed.”
Illegal dumpers could face fines
Dig deeper:
If the dumpers are caught on camera, they could face fines.
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The owner of the property may also be ordered to clean it up.
Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee
The Source: Information in this post was provided by a person who owns property near the former grocery store, as well as Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services.
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