Batt Promises No More Raids On Legislature But First Gop Governor In 24 Years Needed And Got Trusted Administrators

If Gov. Phil Batt picks three more Republican state senators for his administration, he will have appointed the same number as the Democrats elected to the Senate last November.

But Batt, who has appointed five GOP senators so far, has promised legislative leaders he won’t raid the Senate for any more administrators.

There have been some questions raised about the fact Batt has had the opportunity to pack the Idaho Senate with his personal selections even though the governor’s choice was limited to one of three nominees submitted by the affected legislative district committee.

But it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Legislature is where Batt has found people he wanted for his administration.

When Batt was inaugurated in January as Idaho’s first GOP governor in 24 years, there were few Republicans available with top-level government experience. And Batt can’t guarantee anyone will keep a job beyond the final 3 years of his term.

There are few people in mid-career willing to drop everything for a chance to serve in state government with no guarantee that the job will be there for more than a few years.

As a Canyon County farmer who has served in both the House and Senate, Batt had the most contact with people he’d want in his administration during his years in the Legislature.

Besides the five GOP senators, Batt also appointed a key House member, State Affairs Chairman Pam Ahrens, as director of the Department of Administration. He tapped Rep. Jesse Berain, R-Boise, to head the Office on Aging and Rep. Michael Johnson, that handles some of the most sensitive issues.

At least one legislative leader says although Batt’s appointments have meant a major reshuffling of leadership, committee chairmanships and coveted assignments to the budget panel, it also will mean far better communication between the Legislature and governor.

Senate President Pro Tem Jerry Twiggs says that was missing in the first months after Batt’s inauguration.

But one of Batt’s recent selections was former Sen. Mary Hartung of Payette, who was assistant floor leader. Twiggs expects Hartung to work well as the link between the governor and Legislature.

“She always had a good sense of what people were thinking” in the Senate, Twiggs said. “She could go out on the floor and come back in 10 minutes and tell me how people felt.”

Former Sen. Joyce McRoberts of Twin Falls was picked by Batt to head a regional Health and Welfare office. She also was a member of the Senate leadership but last session left that job to head the politically sensitive State Affairs Committee.

Hartung, McRoberts and former Sen. Dennis Hansen, named by Batt to the Public Utilities Commission, all were on the budget committee when the last session started, and Twiggs said replacing Hartung and McRoberts next session will mean a bigger turnover than usually happens after elections.

Ada County could get a bigger voice in budget decisions. Republican senators Hal Bunderson and Cecil Ingram, both of Boise, reportedly are in line to capture the vacant seats.

Twiggs said one of Batt’s appointees, James Risch of Boise, has expressed an interest in replacing Hartung in GOP Senate leadership, along with Sen. Evan Frasure of Pocatello, now Transportation chairman.

Decisions won’t be made until late this year. And depending on who gets Hartung’s job as assistant floor leader, there could be a major reshuffling of committee chairmanships starting with State Affairs, the Senate’s leadership committee that handles some of the most sensitive issues.