Environment

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.

Slickspot Peppergrass No Longer Threatened

Boise State Public Radio News | By Samantha Wright

Published August 8, 2012 at 5:10 PM MDT

A small flowering plant known as Slickspot Peppergrass won't be listed as a "threatened species" any more under the Endangered Species Act. A U.S. District Court ruled today in favor of the state of Idaho and Governor Butch Otter to remove the plant's designation. There's been a decade long legal battle over whether Slickspot Peppergrass warranted such protection.

In 2009, the plant was listed as a threatened species. Otter and Idaho protested, saying a species can only be listed if it's likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. Today's court decision finds that the federal government did not adequately define "foreseeable future." The judge reversed the threatened listing.

Otter issued a statement after the court’s ruling. “I am encouraged that the Court agreed with my argument that the federal government’s decision, to list the species was flawed under the ESA.”

Slickspot peppergrass is only found in Southwest Idaho. The small flowering plant falls in the mustard family.

You can read the decision below.

Slickspot Peppergrass No Longer Threatened

You make stories like this possible.