BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and other top Idaho elected officials have signed off on the final hurdle to approve a $280,000 legal bill using funds originally intended to help Idaho navigate state sovereignty conflicts with the federal government.
The Constitutional Defense Fund Council unanimously approved the payment on Wednesday -- a day after the bill was also approved by the Idaho Board of Examiners.
Idaho was ordered to pay the legal fees after losing a 2011 lawsuit involving work unions.
The Constitutional Defense Fund hasn't paid for a winning case since 1996, when Idaho reached a settlement with the federal government over nuclear waste storage and cleanup. The fund is overseen by Otter, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill.
