Despite the 2014 legislative session being just a day shy of its commencement date, Idaho’s Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter spoke with reporters and the public during the Associated Press legislative preview Friday, about what he thinks will be the most important issues to cover throughout upcoming weeks.
In what Otter called his “blueprint for going forward,” the foremost issues the Idaho Legislature will cover include deciphering Idaho’s role in the changing healthcare laws, the state’s takeover of the formerly privately-operated prison, Otter’s five-year plan for refilling the state’s piggy bank, and most importantly, he said, to put more funding into education.
Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter met with the media Friday, for a preview of the upcoming legislative session.
“This year we’ll be able to start out with a very aggressive fulfillment of that agreement (to support education) and that promise,” Otter said.
Otter said the state would have been debilitated had it not had $400 million in savings in 2007 and throughout the economic downturn until 2011. Now it’s time to replenish what has been spent with his five-year plan, which he briefly discussed.
He said the first year of the state-spending plan has been “written in ink,” but the following four years are written in pencil and will depend on the economy and the upcoming legislative session.
Otter said he’ll be holding the line on state spending in order to bolster savings.
“I’m not going to let the government grow back at the same rate the economy grows,” Otter said. “There will be some money that will go into savings.”
But how much, he said, will be released in the state of the state address Jan. 6.
Senate President Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, said the three largest issues to be covered in the upcoming session are balancing the budget, focusing on education and to create a criminal justice reinvestment program.
House minority leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said education and employment are closely linked. He said it’s a long way out of the “low wage trap,” and requires steep investments in education, retraining, infrastructure and broadband telecommunications.
“The state of Idaho is doing great,” Otter said. “Could it do better? Yes. Will it do better? We hope so.”
More information will be available following the governor’s address Monday.
Chloe Rambo can be reached at [email protected]
To follow live tweets from the first meeting of the legislature Monday, follow Chloe Rambo on Twitter @CRchloerambo