Idaho policymakers received kudos from economist and Wall Street Journal editorial page writer Stephen Moore.  He said Idaho lawmakers handled the state budget situation properly and offered a needed rebuke to federal health care laws approved by Congress earlier this year.

Moore was in Boise Saturday for an Idaho Freedom Foundation dinner, and spoke with IdahoReporter.com about state and federal policies.  The conservative commentator praised Idaho lawmakers for not raising taxes this legislative session.

Moore was one of the authors of a report that ranked Idaho seventh among states in economic outlook.  He also praised Idaho’s participation in a lawsuit challenging parts of new health care laws approved by Congress.  Moore called the laws unconstitutional and said he’d prefer if states could have more chances to find ways to lower the cost of medical care.

While he’s hopeful that federal courts will invalidate the health care legislation, Moore said the courts have historically given Congress large delegations of power, which is why he’s not confident that Idaho will win the lawsuit.

Moore is critical of other legislation currently before Congress.  He called cap and trade plan, which would put limits and fees on some emissions and pollutants, the worst legislation of the last 30 years.  “We toss almost all of our freedom away if we pass this cap and trade bill,” Moore said.  Idaho lawmakers approved a memorial condemning cap and trade.  Moore is also against financial reform legislation currently being considered by the U.S. Senate.

The Senate plan would create a fund to bail out and dissolve large financial institutions that fail and wouldn’t remove the possibility of Congress approving more bailouts in the future.

Moore also said a new federal consumer protection bureau, part of the financial reforms, is unnecessary because there are already several government agencies supposed to be watching over Wall Street.

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo said he opposes the legislation because it doesn’t address Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-created companies that finance mortgages.

Note: IdahoReporter.com is a product of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, which sponsored Moore’s visit to Boise.