In his closing comments, Otter aide Roger Brown told the Senate Education Committee, "This is a sacred obligation by the state." He said the Idaho Constitution demands education. "It's very difficult. A lot of passions have been ignited," he said. "Cutting the system is equally painful, perhaps moreso. ... We cannot be deterred from trying to do more with that money. Circumstances today, through no fault of our own in Idaho, dictate that we do more with less."

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