Idaho Gov. Butch Otter told the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho this morning that he’s appointing state Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, to the state Tax Commission; he’s going to continue to make education his top priority in this year’s upcoming legislative session, to complete the five-year plan laid out by his education task force; and he’s planning to ask lawmakers in their upcoming session to “structurally change exactly how we run higher education in the state of Idaho.”

Otter also warned that his attitude about removing the sales tax from groceries – legislation that he vetoed in the 2017 legislative session – hasn’t changed. “I hope we don’t have to go through what we went through last year, because I feel very certain that that is probably the most stable and predictable source that we have,” Otter said. “And not only that, folks, think of it this way: It’s the tax that everybody pays.” He said, “I guess I’m putting everybody on notice that my attitude hasn’t changed toward that.”

I’ll have more later from the governor’s remarks today. His announcement about appointing Trujillo to the Tax Commission was news that Otter said he saved for this audience, which includes hundreds of state legislators, local and state officials, lobbyists, business people and others.

“Where’s Janet Trujillo?” Otter asked, then said, “Your new tax commissioner as of right now.” After applause, Otter said amid laughter, “So you all knew before she did, and certainly before her husband.” Trujillo’s husband is House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star.