Gov. Butch Otter is “disappointed” that lawmakers have slashed his proposed 5 percent average raises for state employees next year to 3 percent, said his budget chief, Wayne Hammon. “He’s disappointed we can’t do 5 percent – I had to go out and tell him we just couldn’t do it,” Hammon said. But failing that, Otter had been pushing for 4 percent. Hammon said the decision makes lots of room in next year’s budget for another top Otter priority, a $50 million trust fund for college scholarships for needy Idaho students. “There’s plenty of room now in the budget for $50 million for opportunity scholarships,” Hammon said.

Supporters of the 3 percent proposal said if the economy improves, lawmakers can add more for raises next year when they return in January. “It could be the first issue addressed, and we could try to make up the difference for state employees in the middle of the year,” Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron told the Joint CEC Committee. You can read my full story here at spokesmanreview.com.

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