Document Type
Transcript
Publication Date
Fall 2015
Abstract
One of the primary accomplishments of Governor Forrest Anderson in 1969-71 was the reorganization of the Executive Branch of Montana government, something that had been attempted six different times between 1919 and 1962 as state government had grown from twenty agencies to almost 200 uncontrolled boards, bureaus and commissions. The chaotic structure of the executive branch disempowered governors of both parties and empowered the private corporations and organizations that were the power structure of Montana. With remarkable political acumen, Governor Anderson figured out how to get that near impossible job done. Central to his efforts was the creation of an Executive Reorganization Commission, including eight legislators and the Governor, the adoption of a Constitutional Amendment that limited the executive branch to no more than twenty departments under the Governor, and the timely completion of a massive research effort to delineate the actual structure of the twenty departments. That story is told in this episode by three major players in the effort, all involved directly with the Executive Reorganization Commission: Tom Harrison, Diana Dowling and Sheena Wilson. Their recollections reflect an insider’s perspective of this significant accomplishment that helped change Montana “In the Crucible of Change.”
Recommended Citation
Dowling, Diana; Harrison, Tom; Wilson, Sheena; and Barrett, Evan, "Transcript for Episode 05: Executive Reorganization: Forrest Anderson Builds a State Government to Work for People - In the Crucible of Change" (2015). Crucible Episode Transcripts (old). Paper 10.
http://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/crucible_transcripts/10