Rep. Mary Whiteford today was appointed to a special task force to investigate and help resolve cost overruns and inefficiencies with state government information technology projects.

Whiteford – chair of the budget subcommittee overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services – was appointed to the bipartisan panel by House Appropriations Chair Shane Hernandez.

“When state computer systems have glitches or don’t work properly, Michigan residents may be hurt at a time they need government’s help the most,” said Whiteford, of Casco Township in Allegan County. “It leaves children vulnerable to falling through the cracks of our state support system, and families unable to get the help and services they need. Cost overruns on items like software development take away money that could otherwise be spent on schools, roads and other important services. I am ready and willing to work with state departments and vendors to find solutions that will provide better, more cost-efficient service to Michigan residents.”

State departments too often start IT projects that cost more and perform worse than expected. A Department of Health and Human Services system related to tracking child abuse and neglect cases, for example, has received $231 million in the past several years and still has persistent and significant defects.

About 40,000 Michigan residents were wrongfully accused of fraud between 2013 and 2015 by a faulty computer system used by the Unemployment Insurance Agency. A failed Secretary of State computer system overhaul started in 2005 resulted in service issues, lawsuits cost overruns.

Michigan House proposals are including 25-percent spending reductions in state department information technology budgets as part of the state’s upcoming plan for Fiscal Year 2019-20. The task force builds on that effort by helping find solutions and efficiencies.

Hernandez appointed Rep. Mark Huizenga of Walker to chair the task force. Reps. Annette Glenn of Williams Township, Terry Sabo of Muskegon and Abdullah Hammoud of Dearborn will join Whiteford on the panel.

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