ATLANTA – Gov. Nathan Deal has vetoed a proposal to create an 18-member council tasked with overseeing health care reforms in Georgia, citing concerns that it would needlessly grow state government and hamstring the next governor.

The proposal came from Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s health care reform task force that met last year. Cagle is considered the frontrunner in a crowded Republican field of candidates for governor.

“Senate Bill 357, while well-intentioned, creates several unnecessary additional levels of government,” Deal said in a statement Tuesday, which was the last day for him to sign bills.

Lawmakers had included $1.5 million in the new budget to start the Health Coordination and Innovation Council.

Deal said he also had concerns about the setup of a newly created director’s role, council and advisory board. All would report to the governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, yet this office would have “no functional control” over them, Deal noted.

Then Deal said this: “In addition to the practical management and organizational issues presented by this structure, a new governor will be elected this November and it should be left to that individual to shape their executive team in 2019.”

Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, who sponsored the measure, said in a statement that Deal’s decision was a major disappointment.

“While we do have numerous agencies involved in health care, the level of coordination and innovation in dealing with these issues is not at the level Georgians expect,” Burke said.

“A state that is the number one state in which to do business should not be ranked 50th in maternal mortality,” he added.

Burke said the purpose of the council was to bring together experts and form consensus on “how we can focus on the most pressing needs and ensure desired improvement in those outcomes – in other words, accountability.” The group would have put particular focus on rural Georgia’s health challenges.

Cagle said in a statement Tuesday that he understood the governor’s position that such a decision should be left to the next leader of Georgia.

“I’m not going to stop working to make sure Georgians in every corner of our state have access to high-quality affordable health care,” Cagle said. “And I hope next year to fulfill the goals set forth in this legislation.”

The veto was one of 21 inked by Deal on Tuesday – the most ever in his eight-year tenure. It’s also the highest number of vetoes since 2016, when a high-profile religious liberty measure was among the 16 bills struck down that year.

Another bill that met the same fate Tuesday was a controversial measure targeting hacking. Deal said the bill may “inadvertently hinder the ability” of government and private industries to defend against hacks. More discussion, Deal said, is needed on the issue.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at jnolin@cnhi.com.