Governor: ‘No doubt times are tough’

“There is no doubt that our nation is going through troubled times,” Gov. Butch Otter told state lawmakers just now as he began his State of the State message. “But I firmly believe that Idaho can provide leadership for an anxious nation - to be what Franklin referred to as the ‘laboratory of the Republic.’”

He told lawmakers, “As you all know, our means are not what they were when we last met here a year ago. … We are better off than many states. However, we as leaders must be sensitive to the fact that far too many Idahoan are out of work or under-employed. … No doubt about it - times are tough. But they have been tough in the past, and we have weathered the storm by working together with a common purpose.”