AUGUSTA – Maine state government faces the most sweeping reorganization proposals in more than 40 years as the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee explores several consolidation proposals of state programs and agencies.

“People have talked about it for years, but we haven’t done anything about it,” Gov. John Baldacci said Tuesday. “Now is the time to do stuff about it. I clearly appreciate the effort by the Appropriations Committee, and our staff has been working with them.”

One proposal would take all of the various agencies that have law enforcement functions and place them in the Department of Public Safety. In addition to the state police, fire marshal, and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency that are already part of Public Safety, the proposal would transfer game wardens, Marine Patrol officers and forest rangers to the umbrella agency.

Committee members believe there could be some administrative savings from having all law enforcement organizations under one department.

The governor said he was pleased to see the panel vote to study several reorganization proposals and acknowledged he has been considering proposing some of them in the January session. He said the merger of the Department of Mental Health with the Department of Human Services during his first term should have been followed by additional consolidation measures.

“I am determined that we have to do more of this,” Baldacci said. “We are looking at a small revenue problem this year, and we need to make changes that will result in savings going forward.”

The committee directed its staff to review several proposals and identify potential savings, costs and objections. Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, co-chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, said even though the panel voted to study proposals, that does not mean it is ready to recommend changes.

“We have made no final decisions and won’t for a while,” Rotundo said late last week. “We have given the staff a lot of work to do in a short time.”

The panel meets again in two weeks and will review what information has been developed. The committee must recommend $10.1 million in savings for the January session of the Legislature to consider but acknowledged millions more may be needed to make up for revenues that are coming in below estimates.

“We think that some of these will take some time to sift through the policy implications,” said Rep. Jeremy Fischer, D-Presque Isle, co-chairman of the panel. “This is not going to be easy.”

Other proposals include:

. All of the state’s natural resources agencies, including the Departments of Environmental Protection, Conservation, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Resources and Agriculture, would be merged.

. The Department of Transportation would absorb the Maine Turnpike Authority. Because the MTA has independent authority to issue revenue bonds, the committee wants to take a close look at how the borrowing authority would continue if the agency becomes an administrative part of DOT.

“We are looking at that possibility,” Baldacci said. “We need to make administrative savings wherever we can, and I think it is one area we can do that.”

. Merging all the gambling regulatory boards into one oversight commission. Some gaming in Maine is regulated by the state police, some comes under the Gambling Control Board, and horse racing is overseen by a separate board.

The panel is also reviewing policies and practices of state agencies, not just the possible reorganization of agencies. For example, putting the state’s telephone and telecommunications system out to bid is being explored, as are other state purchasing policies.

But not every idea for consolidation is being actively considered. For example, several Mainers suggested that the University of Maine System, the Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy be merged into a unified higher education system. The panel did not vote to ask staff to study that plan.

“Some states have a unified system, where others have a system like ours,” said Sen. Karl Turner, R-Cumberland. “I don’t think we are in a position to do anything but seek more information.”

Baldacci said lawmakers should review the state’s higher education facilities to see if a unified system would be better for the state. He said all ideas to consolidate and streamline state government should be “on the table” as part of the discussion.

Baldacci said he had discussed reorganization with former Gov. Ken Curtis, a Democrat who served from 1967 to 1975. He said Curtis had consolidated hundreds of boards, agencies and commissions into 16 departments.

“He made some significant changes that improved state government,” Baldacci said. “I think it is time we made some more changes.”