Gov. Little cuts more red tape, celebrates historic milestone in regulation reform

Boise, ID- Governor Brad Little announced today that his administration reached another milestone achievement in his ongoing efforts to reduce bureaucratic red tape and streamline government while ensuring the health and safety of Idahoans.

Regulatory reform efforts under the Little Administration ripped another 466 pages of regulations out of state administrative code in Fiscal Year 2024, which ended in June.

In total, Governor Little has cut or simplified more than 95 percent of regulations since he took office in 2019, and Idaho administrative code shrunk from 8,553 to 5,318 pages. Meanwhile, the federal government's code of rules and regulations has grown to over 188,000 pages.

"If left unchecked, government tends to grow, increase regulation, and encroach on our lives. My administration has been laser-focused on keeping government in check and preventing the proliferation of costly, ineffective, and outdated regulations. The proof is in the numbers,"Governor Little said.

Idaho became the least regulated state in the nationin December 2019 and has proudly maintained the title. In 2020, Governor Little signed Executive Order 2020-01: Zero-Based Regulation, creating a rigorous process requiring agencies to review and justify the retention of each regulation line-by-line.

The initiative was so successful that in 2023, the Legislature made Governor Little's "Zero-Based Regulation" permanent, mandating that agencies review their rule chapters every eight years. Moving forward, the Governor will continue working with his legislative partners to further reduce government regulation and improve government efficiency.

"Here in Idaho, we continue to show that with determination, focus, and effective collaboration, we can achieve great things. When we reduce regulatory friction, good jobs follow,"Governor Little said.