Lively debate between Otter, Balukoff includes clash on same-sex marriage, gay rights; new revelation from Otter about CCA

Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today’s lively debate between GOP Gov. Butch Otter and his Democratic challenger, A.J. Balukoff, in which the two went head-to-head over same-sex marriage and gay rights; debated an array of education issues from preschool to higher education funding; and differed on everything from jobs and the economy to Medicaid expansion.

After Balukoff sharply criticized Otter for agreeing to a $1 million settlement with Corrections Corp. of America for overbilling and other problems with its now-canceled management of Idaho’s largest state prison - before a criminal investigation had been launched, ad noted that CCA was a big donor to Otter’s campaigns, Otter offered a new revelation: “I personally did not involve myself in the negotiations of the settlement with CCA because I had received money from CCA for my campaign,” he said. “So I recused myself and let the professionals make that decision. I did not.”

Then he added: “By the way, that final agreement, if (there is) anything that we find out in the FBI investigation, that agreement is set aside and then we can go after CCA.”