Lewiston Trib: Otter Pulls Coup On Indian Gas Tax

All praise to Butch Otter for his agreement with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe over tribal gasoline tax collections, but even if the governor can reach similar agreements with other tribes he will be pulling his own gun from his head. That’s because Otter signed legislation early this year limiting the time he had to negotiate these deals. Legislators, who have tried repeatedly to impose the state tax on tribal sales over the years, sent him a bill requiring him to reach settlements with the tribes by Dec. 1, lest the state tax take effect on the reservations. Why Otter signed such an incursion on his own prerogatives is anyone’s guess, but if he succeeds with other tribes, including north central Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe, as he did with the Coeur d’Alenes, it will be a real coup for him/ Jim Fisher , Lewiston Tribune.

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Question: Do you consider the agreement over gas taxes between the state and the Coeur d’Alene Indian tribe to be a good thing or a bad thing?