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Bill would let governor separate DHHS Friday, Jan 26, 2007 Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Legislation that would give the governor the authority to undo the 2005 merger of the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services was filed Thursday by Sen. Tracy Steele, D-North Little Rock. "Overall, the two agencies would not look much differently than before" the merger, Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Julie Munsell said Thursday after reading Steele's Senate Bill 191. Steele did not return a telephone call for comment. The Legislature in 2005 approved the merger, which was supported by Gov. Mike Huckabee. Huckabee said it would make state government more efficient. The Department of Human Services was the largest agency in state government before the merger. DHHS now has nearly 11,000 employees. Gov. Mike Beebe said earlier this month that he was considering several options to address some problems within DHHS, and that one of them was reverting the agency back to two separate departments. One of the problems, he said, was that morale within the health section was low. The governor, however, said it was unlikely a decision on whether to divide DHHS back into two departments would occur this session. Beebe did not rule out the possibility, but said that the option would require study. "We haven't had a chance to visit with Senator Steele about why he would want this," Munsell said. "We'd be happy to provide any information to either Sen. Steele or Gov. Beebe." |
