Rep. Frank Henderson, known as "Moses" by some colleagues for both his age and wisdom, was the second lawmaker to debate in favor of Gov. Butch Otter's 7-cent fuel tax hike.

Henderson, R-Post Falls, is an octogenarian who shepherds the Idaho Transportation Department's budget through the Legislature's budget committee. On Wednesday, he met privately with Otter's chief of staff, Jason Kreizenbeck, and Otter's transportation aide, former Rep. Clete Edmunson. The meeting took place in a small room reserved for Otter's staff in the Statehouse Annex. The room is known as the "bat cave."

On Thursday, Henderson saluted Otter for a new executive order issued late Wednesday detailing how the transportation department will comply over the next three years with the major findings of a recent audit of its operations by the Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations.

The order requires ITD to publish an annual report by January 1 of each year, and to submit quarterly status updates on implementing the audit recommendations.

Otter's order was on the desk of all 70 House members as they took up his bill.

Henderson said the order satisfies him that revenue to ITD will be efficiently spent. "This order gives me a lot of relief," said Henderson.