Gov. Little comments on WSJ shout-out on Idaho’s deregulation efforts

Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little commented today on a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion piece this week that calls out Idaho as the example for the federal government to follow in cutting red tape.

“In my first year as Governor, the Legislature and I made Idaho the least regulated state in the country. We have cut or simplified 95-percent of regulations, transforming our administrative code. We’ve taken other steps since then to ensure Idaho regulations remain streamlined, user-friendly, and easy to understand. Our Zero-Based Regulation initiative will continue to eliminate red tape moving forward while maintaining safety.

“To achieve these kinds of results, you have to turn the concept of regulation on its head, as the opinion piece by James Broughel notes. Idaho is leading the nation in cutting red tape because we also have reinforced within the agencies a true desire to streamline the regulations they administer. What Idaho is doing is working, and I can’t wait to pick up where we left off with the Trump administration on cutting red tape at all levels of government!” Governor Little said.

James Broughel, a senior fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, wrote in his commentary on the renewed deregulation focus given President Trump’s historic return to the White House in January:

“Idaho has proved deregulation is possible. The state repealed and revised its administrative rules code through a sunset review process in 2019. The results were dramatic. Since then, 95% of state regulations have been eliminated or simplified. The sky didn’t fall. Most regulations, when subject to genuine scrutiny, fail to justify their existence.

"The federal government should learn from Idaho’s success. The result would be a regulatory system that is leaner, more efficient and responsive to 21st-century needs.”

Read the full WSJ commentary piece here: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/wsj.com-Recipe-for-a-Regulatory-Spring-Cleaning.pdf