On Monday, Idaho Freedom Foundation President Wayne Hoffman urged House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill to stand up for Idahoans and thwart the big government agenda Gov. Butch Otter offered in his final State of the State address. Among other things, one of Otter’s proposals would add thousands of Idahoans to a government healthcare program in order to bail out health insurance companies.

Hoffman noted that Otter’s budget accounting gimmicks make his spending plan appear smaller than it actually is. Otter’s actual FY 2019 budget would increase state spending by more than 9 percent, not the (already high) 6.6 percent stated in the governor’s budget documents.

Said Hoffman:

“Once again, Gov. Butch Otter has put forward a jaw-dropping, unaffordable spending plan and liberal policy agenda. If Otter’s plan passes, Idahoans would get far less tax relief than they deserve and thousands of Idahoans would end up dependent on Obamacare. It’s now up to our state Legislature, especially House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill, to lead the way and stop this unaffordable budget, to stop Otter’s bailout for Big Insurance, and to provide real, substantive tax relief for all Idahoans. Additionally, Lt. Gov. Brad Little says he’s a conservative candidate for governor. Now is Little’s chance to show whether he’s with Otter’s liberal agenda or with taxpaying Idahoans who demand real conservative governance.”