Excited to be working for Idahoans

January 13, 2018

By Brad Little Idaho Lieutenant Governor The second session of the 64th Idaho State Legislature has convened, with familiar faces returning as well as a few new ones. I’m excited to be back and working on behalf of the citizens of Idaho. On Monday, the governor delivered his State of the State address, focusing on many priorities for our state, including K-12 and higher education, health care, mental health and delivering additional tax relief for hardworking Idahoans. There is much to be optimistic about. Idaho is the fastest growing state in the nation. We have the highest number of employed Idahoans in our history and incomes continue to rise. But we cannot rest on these accomplishments. Sustaining this growth requires solutions on many different fronts. Idaho is in year five of our state’s plan for education and we have built great momentum on education these past four years. But there is still work to do. We have wonderful teachers and want to keep them here. This year, we will continue investing in career counselors and improving our efforts on literacy, ensuring our third graders are reading by the time they start the fourth grade. On health care, Congress failed to repeal and replace Obamacare. We Idahoans have had enough. We cannot wait. We must pursue an Idaho solution that is actually affordable for families and small businesses, and Governor Otter outlined efforts to do just that. Despite these challenges, one thing we know for sure about Idaho’s state government, as Governor Otter recently said ... "Our books are balanced. Our fiscal obligations are being met. Our credit is strong. We are planning wisely, working collaboratively and investing sustainably. Our national politics often are dysfunctional, but in Idaho our government processes are sound and our policies and priorities reflect the will of the people we serve." Affordable health care is an important component of a strong, growing economy. I focus much of my time as lieutenant governor on economic development across Idaho. Obamacare is a failed policy experiment that, despite the promises of its supporters, did not provide quality, affordable health care for many Idahoans. Five years ago, Idaho had some of the most affordable health care in the nation. We must get back to that position and the solution to our health care must be built right here in Idaho. The first step in crafting an Idaho solution began with the signing of this executive order, which will roll back Obamacare regulations on health care plans and allow individuals and families purchase plans that are 30- to 50-percent less than what they pay now. That is a big savings that will be able to go back into the pocket books of Idahoans. With this executive order, Idaho is leading the nation in rolling back Obamacare and pursuing its own state-based solution.