Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is raising no objection to a joint legislative committee's decision to hold off for another year - until July 1, 2011 - on shifting gas tax funding away from the state parks department and the Idaho State Police; they'll recommend that move to the full Legislature. "Overall, the governor is OK with the action that they've taken regarding putting that off for a year," said Otter's press secretary, Jon Hanian. Why this is significant: The shift was a key part of a session-ending deal between Otter and lawmakers that allowed the second-longest legislative session in state history to end this spring, after 117 days. That happened after Otter failed, for a second year running, to persuade lawmakers to raise the gas tax and vehicle registration fees to fund more road work.

"Obviously he feels that that problem is not going away," Hanian said, and the governor's task force on transportation funding will look into it. "He expects that that's something that the task force will add to its list of items to accomplish." Hanian said Otter "understands the concerns that have been raised" about shifting money from the established recreational trails and waterways programs at state parks. "He expects that the task force will take up finding a long-term solution to that funding question." Otter's task force held its organizational meeting in August; its second meeting is scheduled for Oct. 8.

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