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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5333in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D8EEE1.51C13B20" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">November 2, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">More top rankings pile in for Idaho<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little commented today on even more rankings placing Idaho at the top of the list for economic strength and fiscal stability.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“In Idaho, we stand up for limited government and responsible strategic investments where they count, and our approach works. Washington,
D.C., and states across the nation should look to Idaho as THE success story on how bring about prosperity for the people we serve,”</span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">LATEST rankings for Idaho include:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Fitch affirms Idaho’s AAA credit rating</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – For the second
year in a row, Fitch affirmed the AAA credit rating for Idaho – the highest a state can get. The Fitch report states, “Idaho's 'AAA' IDR reflects the state's credit strengths, including broad powers over spending and revenues, strong reserve levels, low long-term
liability burden, and expected solid long-term economic growth. Fitch believes the state is well-positioned to absorb the consecutive rounds of tax cuts it has adopted to date, given Idaho's prudently managed budget with significant one-time spending that
rolls off to create fiscal capacity.” At any one time, only about 10 states have carried the AAA credit rating, indicative of a high level of confidence in how a state’s budget is managed and the strength of the state’s economy. The higher a state’s credit
rating, the lower the cost to repay its bonds, saving taxpayer dollars on interest costs. (</span><a href="https://www.fitchratings.com/research/us-public-finance/fitch-affirms-idaho-idr-at-aaa-outlook-stable-21-10-2022"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho top 10 state for rainy-day funds</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – The Pew Charitable
Trusts place Idaho as a top 10 state for our healthy rainy-day reserves. Idaho’s rainy-day funds have more than doubled under Gov. Little’s leadership, from $562.5 million to $1.164 billion. Pew states that rainy-day funds “are an essential fiscal tool that
helps states weather the ups and downs of the business cycle.” (</span><a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2014/fiscal-50?utm_campaign=2022-10-21+Fiscal+50&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew&subscriberkey=0030e00002TbakiAAB#ind5"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho #1 in five ag commodities</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Idaho’s agriculture sector
is strengthening. Idaho ranked #1 in the nation in five different ag commodity categories: potatoes, barley, alfalfa hay, peppermint oil and food trout (</span><a href="https://www.postregister.com/farmandranch/crops/idaho-ranks-no-1-in-five-ag-commodities/article_23648c14-5aca-11ed-9f42-0ff34cd40b83.html"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho top 10 state for economic outlook, economic performance</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
– Explosive economic growth combined with responsible state spending places Idaho at the top for economic factors by Rich States, Poor States. (</span><a href="https://www.richstatespoorstates.org/states/ID/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">ADDITIONAL recent rankings for Idaho include:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho #1 state for economic momentum</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Idaho claimed the
top ranking in the Index of State Economic Momentum from State Policy Reports. The index ranks states based on their most recent performance in three key measures of economic vitality – personal income growth, employment growth, and population growth. (</span><a href="https://mcusercontent.com/16c4868c51f1ec364e11316a2/files/5901205d-eb98-f6c7-0c8e-a06889afe32c/V40_18.pdf"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link)</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho #1 top growing state driven by tax policy</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – The Tax
Foundation ranks Idaho first for net gain of residents from interstate migration, noting, “The latest IRS and Census data show that people and businesses favor states with low and structurally sound tax systems, which can impact the state’s economic growth
and governmental coffers.” (</span><a href="https://taxfoundation.org/taxes-affect-state-migration-trends/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=229139579&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_jI5HnPESEKLy8Rkj8Vmyf_SeWtMjyJI-SvAOFlyxKUErUqvG7ZonZFOb_BIzi1eHLI6QgzFhEUOPO7HdAFnxqM-Ey-g&utm_content=229139579&utm_source=hs_email"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho #1 state for tax revenue growth during the pandemic
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">– The Pew Charitable Trusts placed Idaho first in tax revenue growth (16-percent) during the pandemic above its pre-COVID trajectory, the highest of all states. (</span><a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2014/fiscal-50?utm_campaign=2022-09-09+Fiscal+50&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew&subscriberkey=0030e00002TbakiAAB#ind0"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho #3 state prepared to withstand economic stress</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – The
latest Moody’s Analytics state stress tests places Idaho at third place, only trailing behind two other states with oil reserves. The paper estimates the amount of fiscal stress applied to state budgets under a likely next recession scenario and compares that
stress with the amount of money states have set aside in reserve. (</span><a href="https://www.economy.com/getlocal?q=a7a91c91-cad1-447d-a03f-cd48c8cdaa21&app=eccafile"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho top state for income equality</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – “Among the most conservative
states in America, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota excelled by most measures” in an analysis of income equality among states. (</span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blue-states-have-worse-inequality-than-red-ones-new-census-data-shows?utm_medium=flipdigest.ad.20221013.carousel&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little #4 on Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
– The latest report from the CATO Institute grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited‐government perspective. Governors receiving an A are those who have cut taxes and spending the most, whereas governors receiving an F have increased taxes
and spending the most. Gov. Little nabbed the #4 spot on the list. (</span><a href="https://www.cato.org/white-paper/fiscal-policy-report-card-americas-governors-2022"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little #8 Most Popular Governor in the United States</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
– Morning Consult, a global data and analytics company, ranked America’s governors by popularity, and Gov. Little took the #8 spot. (</span><a href="https://morningconsult.com/2022/10/11/whitmers-approval-ticks-up-in-michigan-ahead-of-midterms/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">link</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor’s press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail
</span></i><a href="mailto:Madison.Hardy@gov.idaho.gov"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Madison.Hardy@gov.idaho.gov</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">.
</span></i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">To unsubscribe from these announcements, send an e-mail to
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