Idaho Gov. Butch Otter rolled out a major tax-cut proposal Monday in his 12th and final State of the State message to a joint session of the Legislature. “It’s true that our tax burden in Idaho is relatively light compared with other states,” the third-term governor told lawmakers. “But our income levels also remain comparatively low...
Democratic legislators today decried Gov. Butch Otter’s proposed tax cuts, saying they’ll fall “on the backs of Idaho families with children.” House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, said Otter’s proposal for a dependent tax credit doesn’t fully offset the federal removal of the personal exemption,…
Close the Gap Idaho, a broad coalition of health care stakeholders and advocates, had both praise and concerns about Gov. Butch Otter’s proposed Idaho Health Care Plan and health care executive order this afternoon, reacting to Otter’s comments in his State of the State message.…
Gov. Butch Otter’s final State of the State address ran roughly 53 minutes; he was interrupted more than a dozen times by applause, including an extended standing ovation at the end of his speech. He also was ribbed a bit by a lawmaker who began...
Gov. Butch Otter said, “We have constitutional, legal and social responsibilities to the people of Idaho. Those include preparing them for productive citizenship with accessible educational opportunities, safe communities and equal protection of the law. I believe the plan of action recommended in my Executive…
“My friends, I say again: Idaho is stronger and more economically diverse than ever,” Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers today in his State of the State message. “Our unemployment rate is near a record low. Wages are on the rise. Whole industry sectors are emerging...
Gov. Butch Otter, in his State of the State message today, touted the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy, which serves at-risk youth at its campus in Pierce. The academy has graduated 648 young people from 41 counties, he said. The cadets at the academy also have…
After recounting how Idaho dealt with last year’s disastrous floods and drawing applause when Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers, “For the first time since the 1950s we put more water back into the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer than we pumped out in 2017,” Otter turned…
Gov. Butch Otter, a former congressman who first went back to D.C. vowing to tell the federal government to “butt out” of Idaho, told lawmakers today, “Obstructionists in Congress and the undue influence of a carryover proscribe-and-punish mentality in some federal agencies are still slowing…
Gov. Butch Otter is calling for lawmakers to support his dual-waiver program to cover more Idahoans, without expanding Medicaid. “In my last legislative session as your governor, I am making one final attempt,” he said. “No longer should this body use my agreement not to…
“It’s true that our tax burden in Idaho is relatively light compared with other states,” Gov. Butch Otter told the House and Senate in his State of the State message today. “But our income levels also remain comparatively low, and beneath our own expectations.” He...
“As I said at the end of the 2017 legislative session, unemployment tax relief should be job one for 2018 - I hope you agree,” Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers, drawing applause. Last year, he proposed a cut to the unemployment insurance tax rates that…
Turning to higher education, Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers that he’s recommending hiring an “executive officer to coordinate the work of all our higher education institutions,” a change he said “will upend the status quo.” The move is aimed at finding “tens of millions of...
Gov. Butch Otter is outlining his education proposals for the coming year, including the next installment in the teacher career ladder: Nearly $42 million in the coming year for the fourth year of the five-year plan. Overall, Otter is proposing a 6.03 percent increase in…
Gov. Butch Otter, in his State of the State address today, paid tribute to the late Gov. Cecil Andrus, who he noted “gave even more State of the State speeches than me!” “The outpouring of fond remembrance and well-earned respect for Cece was a welcome...
“Despite the talent and experience contained in this august body, I’m sure many of you share my feelings about starting a legislative session without the able assistance of former Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis,” Gov. Butch Otter said today in his State of the State…
Gov. Butch Otter is paying tribute to the citizens, volunteers and state employees, and also said he wants to “express my gratitude to our extraordinary state employees whose hard work and dedication help us all succeed. So let me begin by saying that my Executive…
“The state of Idaho is prosperous, positive, and poised for even better times ahead,” Gov. Butch Otter told a joint session of the Legislature today as he began his 12th and final State of the State message and released his budget for the coming year,…
Gov. Butch Otter’s 12th and final State of the State message will begin at 1 p.m. Mountain time today, here in the House chamber, to a joint session of the Legislature. Otter also will be releasing his budget today, kicking off the 2018 legislative session.…
Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, has defeated Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, for assistant majority leader in the Senate; Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, was elected caucus chair in a four-way race. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, is the new majority leader. Asked why he decided to run…
This giant American flag usually hangs in the Capitol rotunda for the 4th of July, but Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill said, “A lot of people aren’t here during the summer.” So he talked with House Speaker Scott Bedke, Gov. Butch Otter and state Administration…
The campaigning is on this morning for Senate GOP leadership posts, with four senators vying for majority caucus chair and two for assistant majority leader. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, is unopposed thus far to succeed former Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, but additional…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
