State of the State preview

Governor Otter answers reporters questions

By Mike Vogel

CREATED Jan. 4, 2013

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  • Governor Butch Otter met with reporters today to give the public an idea of what to expect in the next legislative session. The governor's state of the state is on Monday. That's when he'll lay out his total plan. “The state of the state is Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com

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Governor Butch Otter met with reporters today to give the public an idea of what to expect in the next legislative session. The governor's state of the state is on Monday. That's when he'll lay out his total plan.
“The state of the state is in pretty good shape,” said Governor Butch Otter as he addressed a room full of reporters and legislators.

Governor Otter says Idaho is doing pretty well, especially compared to other states. He answered reporter questions about his upcoming state of the state address. He says he'll have a lot to say about personal property taxes. For one thing, he says if it was up to him, he would remove them.
“I think there is a growing consensus amongst folks that the personal property tax is one of the
drags on our economy,” said Governor Otter.

Since the voters shot down propositions one, two and three, he says he's open to any new ideas the legislature has about education reform.
“I’m not going to pre judge any legislator that wants to bring in anything that has to do with education, I'll be happy to sit down and talk with them about it,” said Otter.

In light of the Sandy Hook shootings, he is also looking at school safety as a top priority. He's already tasked the retiring ISP director to inspect the present condition of safety in our schools and recommend improvements.
“Colonel Jerry Russell has agreed to go through an analysis of what it would take in our public school system in Idaho, in order to make them safer,

The governor says we need to do more about reducing prison overcrowding.
“There are some crimes, non violent crimes, that we ought to take a look at minimum sentencing and deal with restitution instead of simply locking them up,” said Otter.
Consider this, the governor says one in 37 men in Idaho is sitting in a prison. A number that he expects will grow seven to eight percent every year.
Governor Otter answered questions and talked for about an hour. One other area he says he's going to
support the 1995 nuclear treaty that former Governors Cecil Andrus and Phil Batt crafted.