DHHS split may not occur until 2008 -- Updated

The governor said today that he is still leaning heavily towards splitting the Dept. of Health and Human Services into two separate state agencies and told media outlets that for administrative purposes, the split needs to take place at the beginning of a fiscal year (July 1) -- whether it's 2007 or 2008 is to be determined. He met with John Selig (DHHS director) and Paul Halverson (director of the state division of health) today to discuss the split.

We enacted legislation this session to give the governor the authority to split the department into two state agencies (as existed prior to the 2005 session and what many within wish could be a governmental nunc pro tunc). Andrew DeMillo with the Associated Press has the story.

Update: Done deal. Here's the governor's media release.