Gov. Chris Gregoire killed 17 boards and commissions by executive order Thursday and called on state lawmakers to get rid of 78 other boards and transfer dozens of small agencies into larger ones.

Gregoire's proposal for the 2010 legislative session came a day after she announced a similar plan to consolidate or coordinate functions of several natural-resources agencies.

The second-term Democrat said she will propose health-care reforms in January, to save money but also to make government work better for the public.

"Just like private businesses, state government must make changes to get the most value for our investments while maintaining the highest level of customer service," Gregoire said in prepared remarks.

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