Otter: ‘I’m very proud of ‘em’
Here are some more of Gov. Butch Otter's reactions to the just-concluded legislative session:
TOP PAY: The governor praised a pay bill for the state's top elected officials put together by House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, which cuts pay next year, restores it the following year, then grants raises the next two years. "I think the Legislature did the right thing," Otter said. "They cut back on all of the officials, and then allowed for hopefully within the growth of the economy increases the third and fourth years out." Otter said he's donated any raises he's received since 2007; he liked the idea of allowing officials to reject raises - now forbidden - but acknowledged that that didn't get done.
TEXTING: "I do recognize that there is a problem. Frankly, I don't text, I don't write messages on a Blackberry ... but I see a lot of people who do. There is some concern there, and I think that'll probably be something that we'll be taking up in the future."
LEGISLATIVE STRESS: "It was a session that had a lot of heavy lifting in it, had a lot of angst in it, had a lot of tough decisions, and probably one of the most stressful sessions that I've ever seen. ... But this Legislature responded to that, and I'm very proud of 'em."
