Little, Trump talk regulatory reform
Idaho Gov. Brad Little was among the governors who met with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Monday. (Courtesy photo)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Idaho Gov. Brad Little was among governors who met Monday with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to discuss regulatory reform.
The Governors’ Initiative on Regulatory Innovation Roundtable Discussion focused on deregulation and smart regulation.
“I appreciate President Trump inviting me to the White House to share how Idaho achieved historic regulatory cuts this year,” Little said. “The Idaho Legislature, agencies within my administration, and I cut and simplified 75 percent of regulations in one year, and Idaho became the least-regulated state in the country. We rewrote our regulations so that they are less burdensome for small businesses and easier for the average Idahoan to understand. I am proud that Idaho is leading in the area of regulatory reform and providing a template for other states and the federal government to follow.”
On Oct. 21, President Trump announced the Governors’ Initiative on Regulatory Innovation — led by Pence — to work with state, local, and tribal leaders who are championing deregulation.
The initiative aims to cut regulations and costs, advance occupational licensing reform, and better align state and federal regulations.
The initiative builds on President Trump’s deregulatory efforts, which have reduced regulatory costs by nearly $50 billion, with savings reaching $220 billion once major actions are fully implemented, according to the White House. The Trump Administration has cut eight and a half regulations for every new rule.
Idaho’s regulatory cuts were achieved through two executive orders Little issued in his first month as governor earlier this year as well as through the “rules reauthorization process,” under which Idaho’s administrative code expires if it is not reauthorized.
Little’s comments during the meeting focused on working closely with the Legislature to achieve shared goals, working closely with agency directors and their staff, and emphasizing public involvement in the process.
Other participants in the meeting included Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Mississippi Gov.-elect Tate Reeves, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Ohio State Sen. Larry Obhof, New Mexico State Rep. Jim Townsend, and Chairman Christine Sage of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Colorado.