AUGUSTA, Maine - A plan to abolish the State Planning Office and replace it with a new Office of Policy and Management was presented to lawmakers on Tuesday as a way to maintain momentum of the current administration's budget streamlining efforts.

Deputy Finance Commissioner David Emery outlined the recommendations of an 11-member work group - created out of the state budget that passed in June - tasked with looking at ways to reorganize the planning office.

Those recommendations include: eliminating the planning office, shifting a number of the office's responsibilities and employees to other state departments and creating the Office of Policy and Management.

Emery said the new office would give the governor a mechanism for developing policies and drafting legislation around effective financial management strategies.

Another part of the governor's $6.1 billion biennial budget that passed in June was the creation of a budget streamline and prioritization task force. That group, made up of lawmakers and others, recently signed off on more than $25 million in savings for the current 2012 fiscal year.