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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:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D934C0.2F8AEFE0" 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">January 30, 2023
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal">
<b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little leads governors in opposing Biden’s EPA waters rule<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little is leading 24 other Republican Governors in opposing the Biden Administration’s Waters of
the United States (WOTUS) rule and called on President Joe Biden today to delay implementation of the rule until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in
<i>Sackett v. EPA</i>, a case involving an Idaho couple. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Biden’s overreaching WOTUS rule threatens rural communities across Idaho and America, creating uncertainty for farmers, ranchers,
property owners, and everyday citizens at a time when they’re already hurting from record inflation,”
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little said.<b> “I’m proud to lead our nation’s Governors in calling on President Biden to abandon this attempt to subject rural America – the backbone of our nation – to more
onerous federal regulation.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Biden’s WOTUS rule seeks to put puddles, ditches, watering ponds, and other small water features under federal protection.
<span style="color:#202020">It is being implemented months before the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide
<em><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Sackett,</span></em> which could significantly alter the regulatory authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Biden Administration’s attempt to regulate private ponds and ditches could waste
state and federal resources and cause unnecessary tension for farmers and rural communities.<br>
<br>
Signatories to the letter include: Governors Brad Little (ID), Kay Ivey (AL), Mike Dunleavy (AK), Sarah Sanders (AR), Ron DeSantis (FL), Brian Kemp (GA), Eric Holcomb (IN), Kim Reynolds (IA), Tate Reeves (MS), Mike Parson (MO), Greg Gianforte (MT), Jim Pillen
(NE), Joe Lombardo (NV), Chris Sununu (NH), Doug Burgum (ND), Mike DeWine (OH), Kevin Stitt (OK), Henry McMaster (SC), Kristi Noem (SD), Bill Lee (TN), Greg Abbott (TX), Spencer Cox (UT), Glenn Youngkin (VA), Jim Justice (WV), and Mark Gordon (WY).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020"><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Portions of the letter are included below: </span></strong><br>
<br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Another burdensome and overly broad regulation from the federal government could not come at a worse time for America. Having already squandered much of America’s energy independence, you should not increase
costs for consumers by tying up energy production with even more red tape.”</span></em></span><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020">…<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020">“We call into question the timing and necessity of the rule with the court’s upcoming Sackett decision which
is expected by June of this year. That opinion could significantly impact the final rule and its implementation. To change the rule multiple times in six months is an inefficient and wasteful use of state and federal resources and will impose an unnecessary
strain on farmers, builders, and every other impacted sector of the American economy.”<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020">…<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020">“The substance of the rule hinders state governments as we seek to give clarity and consistency to businesses,
farms, and individuals regarding the regulatory framework for water.”<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#202020">…<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Joint-Letter-to-President-Biden-on-the-Waters-of-the-United-States-Rule-1-30-23_updated.pdf">The
letter from 25 Governors to President Biden is available here.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><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">.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></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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