Otter proposes increase in education budget

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter outlined his vision for the 2015 Idaho Legislature in his State of the State address given Monday afternoon. Highlights are given below. Click here to read his full speech.

Education

Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter in his ninth State of the State address is proposing a 7.4 percent, or more than a $111 million boost to fund Idaho’s schools, making it his highest education hike since 2008 right before the economic downfall.

The amount includes more than $31 million to increase teacher pay.

Idaho lawmakers slashed education funding in 2009 during the economic downturn right after the legislature passed one of the highest education budgets in the state’s history. Lawmakers have promised to restore education funding but have been wary adding too much too soon.

Otter delivered his speech Monday in front of lawmakers. It signals the beginning of the 2015 Idaho Legislature. State lawmakers will spend the next few months in Boise working to balance the state budget and pass legislation.

Otter’s overall budget increase is roughly $152 million more than last year’s budget.

Infrastructure

While education is expected to dominate this year’s legislative session, Otter also pressed lawmakers to address finding a way to improve Idaho’s aging roads and bridges as well as continue funding the state’s troubled broadband Internet program.

Idaho lawmakers overall agree that the state’s aging roads and bridges must be upgraded, but Otter’s new budget proposal includes no additional funding for transportation maintenance efforts.

That means it’ll be solely up to legislators to find a plan to increase funding that does not compete with education funding.

However, Otter did urge lawmakers to find a solution describing the issue as the elephant in the room.

Little to no consensus has yet to be outlined on how to best fund the maintenance efforts but one possible option is raising the gas tax or increasing vehicle registration fees.

State employees

Some Idaho state employees could see a 3 percent increase in pay and fully funded health care benefits if lawmakers go along with Otter’s recommended budget plan.

Otter’s recommendation says the pay increase would be based on merit, with flexibility for directors to address agency needs. The change would amount to a $23 million increase, coming from the general fund.

The governor’s staffers said he will have specific pay recommendations for agencies where the turnover rate is significantly higher than the state average, where directors are having trouble filling positions because of low pay, or where substantial parity within state government exists.