Otter enlists adviser with Democratic roots

BOISE – Republican Gov. Butch Otter has enlisted a former Democratic political operative to help develop his strategy for fighting to preserve new education laws that weaken teacher negotiating power and emphasize online learning.

The governor has vowed publicly to do everything in his power to guarantee the measures aren’t rejected by voters in November. The battle over the education changes deeply divided Republicans and Democrats during the 2011 session.

At issue is a new overhaul that limits teachers’ collective bargaining for salaries and benefits; eliminates tenure; dumps seniority as a factor in layoffs; and requires union negotiations to be held in public. Idaho will also arm every high school teacher and student with a laptop while making online courses a requirement.

Otter’s staff has enlisted the help of John Foster, who is serving as an unpaid adviser to the governor’s office.

The decision, which Foster and the governor’s office confirmed on Tuesday, may surprise some. Foster is a past executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party and was campaign manager for former Democratic U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick.

Foster contends the education reforms aren’t about partisan politics but about improving the public education system.

Foster, who was a journalist before he went into politics, works for a Seattle-based public affairs firm that has an office in Boise. His work for the governor’s office will be on his own time and his firm, Strategies 360, is not involved, he said.

In the Idaho Legislature, Foster has lobbied for developers of wind energy, oil and gas. He also testified on behalf of union workers fighting legislation aimed at weakening their leverage during the 2011 session. Otter signed the union-busting measures into law, though they were thrown out by a federal judge this month.