Education

What You Should Know About Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter

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.

The Changing Face Of Boise State University

Boise State Public Radio News | By Samantha Wright

Published January 21, 2013 at 1:59 PM MST

Over the past decade, the student makeup at Boise State University has changed. That’s the word from President Bob Kustra, who made his pitch for more money from the Idaho Legislature today.

Kustra showed budget lawmakers a series of statistics about Boise State that have changed from 2001 to now. He says back then, the school had a different make up of students.

“Sixty-six percent came straight from high school. What that means is that there was a fairly significant percentage of students who were not coming from high school," says Kustra. "They were older students, they were coming in as commuter students, there really wasn’t much of a residential campus.”

But that has changed. Now, Kustra says, 85 percent of students come straight from high school. Most of them want to live on or near campus, changing the residential makeup of the school.

Back in 2001, just 68 percent of students at Boise State were full-time. That has changed as well. “Now when you take a look at the fact that 95 percent are attending full-time, they’re coming from all over the state and beyond and when they attend full-time, I can’t tell you the traffic differences that makes on our campus when you try to just get through the place.”

Kustra said all that change comes at a time when more students are enrolling in Boise State, and while less of the school’s operating budget comes from state dollars.

Kustra asked lawmakers for $16 million more this year for Boise State for a total of $162 million. Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas also asked for more money next year, a total of almost $129 million. University of Idaho President Duane Nellis will speak to lawmakers on Wednesday.

The Changing Face Of Boise State University

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