from Brainerddispatch.com:

The new Republican majorities at the Minnesota Capitol applied their desire to scale back government on Tuesday by significantly cutting the number of legislative committees as they prepare to take power in January.

House Speaker-designate Kurt Zellers and incoming Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch unveiled a slimmed-down committee roster at a joint news conference, saying the new setup will make it easier for people to follow the legislative process and free lawmakers to spend more time with constituents.

Their plan establishes 24 committees in the House and 16 in the Senate, down by more than a third from a proliferation of panels under the departing Democratic leadership. Voters earlier this month overturned nearly four decades of Democratic rule in the Senate and unseated a four-year Democratic House majority.

“We have reformed government, starting with ourselves. This is what voters expect of us, this is what they demanded — that we get in there and start with ourselves first,” said Zellers, a Republican from Maple Grove.

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