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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image003.png@01D6CC97.26EFB520"></span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">December 7, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Gov. Little says Idahoans must choose to keep others safe and protect Idaho’s strong economic trend<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Boise, Idaho – November was the best month yet for state revenue figures in the new fiscal year, and Governor Brad Little said Idahoans must choose to do a better job to slow the spread of COVID-19
if we are going to continue our strong economic rebound during the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“Idaho’s economy is open and strengthening, and we are poised to achieve the largest budget surplus in Idaho history. However, our plan to achieve tax cuts and long-lasting needed investments
is threatened if our hospitals are maxed out and our workforce is sick. Health and the economy are intertwined. Idahoans must choose to do a better job of wearing masks and avoiding gatherings with people outside their households if we are going to continue
this trend,” </span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The Idaho Division of Financial Management posted the November revenue report today. It is available at
<a href="https://dfm.idaho.gov/publications/eab/gfrr/gfrr2021/gfrr_dec2020.pdf">https://dfm.idaho.gov/publications/eab/gfrr/gfrr2021/gfrr_dec2020.pdf</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">While other states face budget cuts of 20- to 40-percent or more, Idaho’s November revenue figures came in 16.5-percent or $44.5 million ahead of forecast, the strongest month since July. Year to
date, state revenues are ahead of forecast by 10.6-percent, or $168.3 million. <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Governor Little said he will put forth a package in January for legislative approval that provides tax cuts and makes one-time investments in transportation, education, water projects, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“COVID-19 is deadlier and more dangerous than the flu, period. More COVID-19 transmission results in more COVID-19 hospitalizations and fewer available healthcare workers to care for the patients.
The result is diminished healthcare access for all of us, whether we have COVID or not. We all have a choice – practice safe measures consistently to protect yourself and others, keep our economy open and our workforce healthy, and keep our kids in school,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">
Governor Little said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"># # #</span></span><span class="xeop"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" style="background:white"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"> </span></span><span class="xeop"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" style="background:white"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Callihan, Communications Director</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" style="background:white"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">208-854-3032 or
</span></span><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:Emily.Callihan@gov.idaho.gov"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Emily.Callihan@gov.idaho.gov</span></a></span><span class="xnormaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">
</span></span><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" style="background:white"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">--</span></span><span class="xeop"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D" target="_blank"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:#0563C1">Sign
up to receive news from Governor Little</span></i></span></a></span><span class="xeop"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xparagraph" style="background:white"><span class="xnormaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i></span><span class="xeop"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans";color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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