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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September 27, 2012

Idaho’s Medicaid Expansion Workgroup Explores Three Options

Between 97,000 and 111,000 additional Idahoans would be eligible for Medicaid if the state chooses to expand eligibility. But where would those people come from? Close to half would migrate from four other state programs already in place to help low-income residents with medical needs. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter must decide if Idaho will expand […]

September 26, 2012

Idaho’s Medicaid Workgroup Gets Briefed On Leavitt Report Thursday

Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s workgroup to study a possible Medicaid expansion meets tomorrow at the State Capitol. The Governor has to decide by early November whether he’ll expand Medicaid eligibility for low-income adults earning up to 138 percent of the poverty line. The expansion is a key element of the federal health care reform law. […]

September 12, 2012

Fewer Workers Covered By Longstanding Health Insurance Plans As Law Takes Effect

If you have trouble getting jazzed about health care policy, consider this: “Between 1999 and 2012, workers’ health care costs grew four times faster than their earnings,” The Atlantic reports. The data is drawn from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s annual Employer Health Benefits survey, released this week. The survey also includes information about how employers […]

August 29, 2012

Cato And ALEC Reps To Speak At Health Exchange Meeting

The governor’s group to study whether Idaho should have a health insurance exchange meets for the second time today. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter created two work groups following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Obama’s health care law. Otter must decide whether Idaho should set up an online marketplace for people to purchase […]

August 27, 2012

Commerce Director Says His Bankruptcy Was “On The Table” In Hiring Discussion

Idaho Commerce Department Director Jeff Sayer filed for personal bankruptcy in 2003, less than a decade before Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter appointed him to his current job. That’s according to an Idaho Statesman report this weekend. Director Sayer’s bankruptcy was not public knowledge ahead of his appointment last fall, but it was known to Gov. […]

August 24, 2012

Idaho Elected Officials, Multimillionaire Romney Backer VanderSloot Head To RNC

Many prominent Idaho Republicans are packing their bags and heading to Tampa for the 2012 Republican National Convention. The list of Idaho delegates includes Gov. C.L. “Butch” and Lori Otter, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, and multimillionaire Romney backers Frank and Belinda VanderSloot. The full list is available here.

August 6, 2012

Medicaid Expansion Could Add 100,000 To Idaho Rolls

The first meeting of Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s Medicaid expansion working group is underway. The group is charged with providing input to the governor as he weighs whether the state should expand its Medicaid program, as prescribed under President Obama’s health care law. The biggest news out of today’s meeting so far: an additional 90,000 […]

August 2, 2012

It Would “Be A Miracle” If State Meets Health Insurance Exchange Deadline

A governor-appointed panel of state lawmakers, insurance executives and other community stakeholders met for the first time today to begin the process of deciding how Idaho will deal with the federal health care law’s requirement that states have some sort of health insurance exchange. The options: let the federal government take charge, authorize Idaho to […]

July 10, 2012

Gov. Otter Favors “Further Study” Of Health Care Decision

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter will form working groups to “research and carefully examine” Idaho’s options in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the main components of President Obama’s health care law. That’s according to an opinion piece distributed to media by the governor’s office this afternoon. The court’s ruling thrust large decisions […]

July 9, 2012

As Texas Rejects Medicaid Expansion, Idaho Weighs Its Options

Texas Governor Rick Perry said Monday he will not expand his state’s Medicaid program or create a health insurance exchange, leaving 6.2 million Texans without health insurance. That’s according to Reuters, which also reported Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured people in the country. “The announcement makes Texas the most populous state that has […]