State of the State briefs

• No Medicaid expansion in Idaho in 2015

BOISE - For a second year, Gov. Butch Otter threw cold water on hopes of expanding eligibility in Idaho for the Medicaid health insurance program during the coming year.

President Barack Obama's health care overhaul envisioned adding many low-income singles, among others, to the program, but the U.S. Supreme Court left the decision up to states.

Instead of taking additional federal money to cover the health insurance program for the poor, elderly and disabled, Otter said in his State of the State speech Monday he wants to make changes to the system first.

That includes focusing on prevention and outcomes, rather than the existing system that he says concentrates too much on payments for services.

• Otter's budget targets wolves, water and Wi-Fi

BOISE - For those seeking a catchy slogan for Gov. Butch Otter's 2015 budget, they could do worse than "wolves, water and Wi-Fi."

The Republican governor Monday told legislators that those three things will be among his priorities for the coming fiscal year, starting in July.

Otter called for $2 million for a new Wolf Control Fund, something he sees necessary to keep the number of predators in check.

Idaho now has 680 wolves.

Amid a drought, he wants to dedicate $15 million for water projects, including final studies on a proposed dam on western Idaho's Weiser River, as well as boosting water storage capacity in the Island Park Reservoir in eastern Idaho.

• Idaho workers won't see pay hike from Otter

BOISE - Gov. Butch Otter is chipping in money to cover the state's share of health insurance for Idaho workers, but he's not pushing to set aside more money to increase state employee wages.

That's according to state budget officials on Monday, who unveiled details of the governor's spending plan for fiscal year 2015, starting next July.

The insurance increases will cost the state $12 million.

That's equivalent to about 2 percent of total state worker pay.

Even so, Otter's budget chief, Jani Revier, said state employees will still see their own share of their health care costs increase for the coming year.

- Associated Press