Otter vetoes bill aimed at managing wolves

BOISE – Gov. Butch Otter has vetoed a pair of bills, including legislation that called for diverting money from the Idaho Fish and Game Department to a program aimed at managing problem wolves.

That bill, sponsored by Midvale Republican Rep. Judy Boyle, would have moved $100,000 currently used for hunter access to a separate program focused on eliminating wolves that prey on livestock and prized game like elk and deer.

Otter vetoed the bill Thursday, saying it could create a rift between sportsmen and livestock producers – two groups he said are vital to controlling predatory wolves.

He also said stakeholders weren’t consulted or given the chance to review the proposal.

Otter also killed a second bill Thursday that would shift power to the attorney general to investigate misconduct by elected county officials.