Gov. Otter said of his transportation proposal, "Six months of listening to the Idahoans who hired us tells me that this conservative, measured and phased-in approach will work. ... I can tell you that we are shirking our responsibility and ignoring the facts if we don't step up to our duty to maintain what taxpayers already have built, to do what's necessary to sustain and enhance our economy and quality of life." It was then that he received his second round of applause of the speech.

That prompted Otter to depart from his prepared text and joke that he admits to a "broken heart" that House Transportation Chairwoman JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, didn't "break out into loud applause" when he outlined his tax plan. He continued, "The time for debate has passed. We have talked this issue to death."

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