A little over a decade ago he was busing Montana senior citizens to Canada to fill their prescriptions at reasonable prices, a way of protesting the American pharmaceutical industry. Now, Montana governor, Brian Schweitzer is planning to establish a state-wide universal healthcare system modeled after that of the state’s Canadian neighbor, Saskatchewan.

The governor, a Democrat, reported last month he will seek a waiver from the federal government to design his own healthcare system in Montana rather than implement all the regulations set by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the federal healthcare reform package signed into law last year. His goal is simple: better care, for more individuals and less money.

Montana is one of just a few states in the nation that has maintained a budget surplus throughout the recession, and the governor doesn’t plan on letting disappointing aspects of the federal plan get in the way of that.