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C.L. “Butch” Otter has been a fixture of Idaho politics since 1973 when he was elected to his first term in the state House of Representatives.Otter was elected to his third-consecutive term as governor on Nov. 4, 2014. He was elected to his second term as Idaho governor on Nov. 2, 2010. Otter first became Idaho's governor on Nov. 7, 2006.Gov. Otter was at the helm during the peak of the Great Recession and it was his administration that oversaw the cutting of the state budget, record unemployment, and a boom in the number of people using government assistance.Otter spoke with StateImpact Idaho back in 2012 about that recession and its lasting impact on Idaho's workforce.Governor Otter: Every Generation Deals with Joblessness and We Live Through ItA Brief BiographyOtter, a Republican, is the longest serving lieutenant governor of Idaho, his tenure spanned from 1987-2000. In 2000 he was then elected to the United States Congress and served until 2006.According to the Washington Post, Otter voted with his party most of the time, 86 percent, but has been known to have an independent streak on some issues.“He was among three Republicans in the House to vote against the USA Patriot Act in 2001 and he later sponsored a bill to repeal parts of it. But independent streaks are sometimes tolerated in a state that would rather not be told what to do by the federal government.” - William Yardley, New York TimesOtter was born on May 3, 1942 in Caldwell, Idaho. He attended St. Teresa’s Academy in Boise and graduated from Boise Junior College (now Boise State University) with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1967.After college, Otter joined the Idaho National Guard and served in the 116th Armored Calvary until 1973.Butch Otter is married to his second wife, Lori. He has four children and several grandchildren.

Luna Wants Money Back In Salaries

Tom Luna
Tom Luna

Boise, ID – Idaho’s schools Superintendent has asked lawmakers to increase the money they send to schools by 4.7%. Tom Luna had asked for more than five percent back in September, but he’s adjusted for a drop in the state’s revenue estimate. One thing Luna is not adjusting is his insistence that lawmakers replace cuts made last year to the chunk of money the state puts aside for teachers’ salaries. That money was taken to pay for Luna’s Students Come First education overhaul. Restoring that money for salaries may hold the key to gaining teacher support for the laws.

Tom Luna “If somebody were to tell any of us, hey I’ve got a great idea but first we’re going to cut your pay 15% and then you can participate…I think it would be hard for anybody to buy into that.”

Luna needs public support for Students Come First because there’s a referendum to overturn the laws on November’s ballot.

Tom Luna “And I’m convinced that by then, you’ll see teachers realizing that their pay hasn’t been cut because of these reforms. And I think when we get to November, the last thing people are going to want to do is go back to the system we had before.”

But restoring the money for salaries may not be easy. It doesn’t appear in Governor Butch Otter’s budget recommendation. Otter wants the money put in school emergency funds then maybe salaries if there’s any extra. Luna wants to take the opposite approach.

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