Boise (670 KBOI) – Governor Otter delivered his last State of the State and Budget address Monday, calling for changes to healthcare, continued funding of the education career ladder, and increased funding for other education programs.  Otter will not run for re-election this year; it’s the end of his third term in office.

He also mentioned something he didn’t in last year’s budget address…tax cuts. But he hinted that it wasn’t a high priority.

“But that must be accomplished while meeting our Constitutional, and statutory obligations, sustainably advancing our education and other budget priorities, and insuring our state tax laws remain fair, stable and competitive,” said Otter.

Otter told the assembled legislators and state officials that he would support cuts in individual and corporate income tax rates, and cutting unemployment tax rates…but said nothing about repealing of the state grocery sales tax.

House Minority Leader Matt Erpelding of Boise says he thinks that’s something Republicans and Democrats can find common ground on.

“My caucus most definitely supports lowering unemployment insurance taxes on businesses,” he said.  “Right now, they’re overpaying into an over-capitalized fund, and it would save our businesses in Idaho millions of dollars.”

Governor Otter also used the occasion to call for the creation of a higher education executive, or a Chief education Officer of sorts, within the State Board of Education.  He said the function of a CEO would be to consolidate operations of the state’s eight colleges ad universities under one office.

District 15 Republican Representative Lynn Luker says he’s not sure about that idea, but he’s willing to listen.

“I’m not sure that that’s needed, or that the cost is needed, or that won’t balloon into something more, so I’m certainly open to talk about it, but that’s not one of my priorities, anyway,” said Luker.

Tomorrow afternoon, all lawmakers and staffers will undergo Respectful Workplace Training, or sexual harassment training.