Missouri House Approves Task Force To Oversee Task Forces

It will be called the "Missouri Task Force Task Force."

Task forces on task forces on task forces! Can a state ever have too many?

Missouri Democratic House Rep. Jon Carpenter (District 15) wants to find out. He introduced a legislative amendment—which passed yesterday—to create a task force to oversee task forces.

Rep. Jon Carpenter's amendment to create a task force on task forces passes with a voice vote. pic.twitter.com/EMNPKySXRo

— Benjamin D. Peters (@BenjaminDPeters) May 15, 2019

The task force on task forces would be partially composed of members from other task forces, according to the amendment's text. Appropriately, the task force would be named the "Missouri Task Force Task Force."

While the role of the state's Task Force Task Force is still a tad ambiguous, the amendment says it would "investigate the current status of task forces in the state" to include "whether each task force is fulfilling its statutory obligations."

The Task Force Task Force would not have jurisdiction over every committee. Logically, the next step would be to assemble a Standing Committee Standing Committee to monitor Standing Committees, a Subcommittee Subcommittee to oversee Subcommittees, as well as a Special Committee Special Committee to watch over Special Committees.

But perhaps the biggest looming question is exactly who will monitor the Task Force Task Force without a Task Force Task Force Task Force. That's a conundrum—one Rep. Carpenter might more easily solve with a task force to evaluate the task of evaluating task forces that oversee task forces.