A bill aimed at bringing a local version of the Department of Government Efficiency to Arizona failed in the state House on Feb. 26, after bipartisan opposition voted against the new regulations. 

HB2031, introduced by Republican Rep. Alex Kolodin, would have repealed eight different state boards and commissions tasked with regulating or promoting various industries. Kolodin has long said the bill is inspired by the Trump administration’s establishment of DOGE, a new federal department created to cut wasteful government expenditures.

“In the 2024 general elections, the voters of the state and of this country spoke loudly, and they spoke clearly, and they want to reduce the size of government,” Kolodin said during floor discussion on the bill on Feb. 25.

Several lawmakers voted against the bill because it would have repealed the Barbering and Cosmetology Board and Commission on the Arts, both of which Republicans and Democrats said provided safety and value to state government.

Rep. Selina Bliss, R-Prescott, attempted to amend the bill to remove both the Cosmetology and Arts boards from the proposed cuts, but Kolodin said her amendment was hostile and it ultimately failed.

“The reason we can’t do DOGE is because everybody is always trying to take out this piece, that piece … and if you give in to what everybody’s asking for, you take apart the bill,” Kolodin said during discussion of the measure on Feb. 25.

Several lawmakers spoke about the importance of keeping the Barbering and Cosmetology Board because of the regulatory responsibility it has for the cosmetology industry. Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, said she agrees with Kolodin that the voters want to cut government, but said she doesn’t think the Barbering and Cosmetology Board is the place to start. 

Referring to women who cut her hair, Martinez said during floor discussion on the bill,  “I want them licensed and trained … And I do think that this can go down a road where it can be detrimental to someone’s health.”

Democrats also spoke up in opposition, including Rep. Anna Abeytia D-Phoenix, who is a certified lash technician — a license that is regulated by the Cosmetology Board.

“This is an extremely harmful bill to people like myself, other people in the industry, and everyday people like us,” Abeytia said.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also defended the Commission on the Arts, which Bliss said helps contribute significantly to the state’s economy.

“Get this, Arizona’s arts and culture industries contribute $14 billion to the state’s economy,” Bliss said while explaining her amendment. “Get this, according to the analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arizona’s arts and culture sector contributes more to the state’s economy than mining, agriculture and forestry combined.”

Kolodin said he could concede to removing the Barbering and Cosmetology Board from the bill, but said he believes the Commission on the Arts should be repealed. 

“Here’s why the Arts Commission is especially pernicious — besides the flagrant misuse of taxpayer funds — we have a term in political science for government art, and that term is propaganda,” Kolodin said.

The bill ultimately failed 42-17, with several Republicans joining Democrats to kill it. 

The introduced version of Kolodin’s bill would have repealed 10 different boards and commissions, but he agreed to remove the Citrus Research Council, Cotton Research Protection Council and the Beef Council after listening to feedback from stakeholders. However, in the amendment removing those councils from the bill, a new board, the Iceberg Lettuce Research Council, was added to the list. 

The bill would have removed smaller boards and commissions like the Acupuncture Board of Examiners, the Companion Animal Spay and Neuter Committee and the Student Transportation Advisory Council — the latter of which has no current members. 

A recent review by the Arizona Capitol Times found that 16% of state board and commission seats are vacant, but only one of those vacant boards was targeted by HB2031. However, Kolodin has said that he would do away with every state agency, board and commission if he got his way. 

Kolodin is not the first Republican to suggest deregulating the cosmetology industry. Former Gov. Doug Ducey was a proponent of deregulation in the industry and signed a bill in 2019 that removed licensing requirements for styling services like blow drying, washing and curling hair. 

Total deregulation for cosmetology during Ducey’s term ran into similar hurdles as Kolodin’s bill did, with opponents expressing concerns about potential harms to the health and safety of customers if cosmetologists aren’t licensed. 

Other DOGE-inspired bills aimed at shrinking or removing responsibilities from state agencies are still moving through the Legislature, but none would be as drastic as Kolodin’s ill-fated proposal.