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

Background

State of Idaho

Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-Idaho)

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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 second term as Idaho governor on Nov. 2, 2010. He was first elected governor on Nov. 7, 2006.

StateImpact Idaho sat down with the governor before the 2012 legislative session began to ask about a few key economic issues. Click the links below to see video of where he stands:

A Brief Biography

Otter, 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 Times

Otter 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 116^th Armored Calvary until 1973.

Butch Otter is married to his second wife, Lori. He has four children and several grandchildren.

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January 9, 2013

What Gov. Otter Meant When He Said “No” To Expanding Medicaid Eligibility

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter said in Monday’s State of the State address that he doesn’t believe Idaho should expand Medicaid eligibility. “There is broad agreement that the existing Medicaid program is broken,” he said. That wasn’t all the governor had to say on the issue. He mentioned a new responsibility for Idaho Department of Health […]

January 8, 2013

Visualizing Gov. Otter’s State Of The State Speech

Here’s a different take on Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s State of the State speech. It’s his 8-page speech boiled down into 50 frequently used words. The larger the word, the more often it was used. Now, compare this year’s State of the State word cloud to Gov. Otter’s 2012 speech. Do you see much of […]

January 7, 2013

Gov. Otter Rejects Medicaid Expansion, Supports Personal Property Tax Repeal

Today, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter told lawmakers and the public that he wants to repeal the state’s tax on business personal property, which generates roughly $140 million for local government each year. He also said he does not support an expansion of Medicaid eligibility in Idaho, at least not at this time. StateImpact talked through […]

Gov. Otter Advocates For Expanding Idaho’s Medical Education Opportunities

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter says Idaho should expand options for Idahoans who want to attend medical school. During his State of the State speech, Otter pushed for legislation that would expand the number of seats in the WWAMI program. Medical students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho are able to attend the University of […]

Gov. Otter’s State Of The State Speech Sets His Agenda For Idaho Legislature

Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter released his budget along with his State of the State speech today. Here are some key points. The full speech is posted below. The governor’s budget would increase general fund spending by 3.1 percent in fiscal year 2014. The FY14 budget is $2.78 billion, that’s an $84 million increase over FY13. […]

January 4, 2013

Sharp Words On Personal Property Tax Ahead Of Gov. Otter’s State Of The State Address

It’s on everyone’s list of key issues of the upcoming legislative session: the personal property tax. Pressure is mounting for the state to repeal it, but even Republican lawmakers who say they are firmly against the tax also say the state doesn’t have the money to get rid of it at this time. Personal property […]

Liveblog: 2013 Idaho Legislative Preview

January 3, 2013

Legislative Preview To Cover Hot Topics

The Associated Press is hosting a preview of Idaho’s 2013 legislative session tomorrow, three days before the Legislature convenes. We’ll be liveblogging Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s discussion with reporters and the two panel discussions that follow. Here’s the agenda: 9:00 a.m. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter 10:00 a.m. Legislative leadership: A panel discussion including House Speaker […]

December 18, 2012

Idaho Joins Minority In Opting For State-Based Health Exchange

When Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter opted in favor of a state-based heath insurance exchange, he came to a conclusion that many of his fellow governors did not. Only 18 states and the District of Columbia have declared they will build their own exchanges, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Seven states plan to create […]

December 13, 2012

What’s Next, Now That Gov. Otter Has Opted For A State-Based Exchange?

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter recommends Idaho build a state-based health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. In his Tuesday announcement, Otter said there will be a health insurance exchange in Idaho; the only question is who will build it. It’s important, the governor said, for Idaho to have a seat at the table. StateImpact […]