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(AP) -- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri Senate has voted to temporarily expand government in order to shrink it.

Senators passed a resolution Wednesday to create a special legislative committee focused on reducing the scope of government and addressing budget shortfalls.

The Joint Interim Committee on Reducing the Size of State Government would have five members each from the House and Senate. They would be responsible for recommending savings and changes to state government by the end of this year.

The resolution also must pass the House for the committee to be created.

The governor and legislators already are considering ways of restructuring government. Last week, for example, the Senate meet in small focus groups to review hundreds of citizen ideas for cutting spending and generating new revenues.

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