Batt Signs Public Works Budget Of $24 Million Governor Also Approves Bill Creating State Public Defender

A nearly $24 million public works budget for the next year has been signed by Gov. Phil Batt, and it leaves his successor facing the prospect of underwriting tens of millions of dollars in new buildings.

As he continued whittling away at the hundreds of bills sent to him by lawmakers this year, Batt also approved without comment the creation of a special Capital Crimes Defense Fund and a Statewide Appellate Public Defender intended to further ease the property tax burden on counties.

Through Thursday, Batt had signed 405 of the 435 bills lawmakers approved during the past three months. He has vetoed four and allowed one to become law without his signature.

The last bill to clear the House and Senate - a requirement for parental consent before minors can obtain abortions - was delivered to the governor Thursday afternoon after procedural problems in the Senate were resolved. Batt has not indicated his position on the parental consent bill or when he will act.

Public works

The bulk of the public works budget covers bonds on past projects and basic building maintenance.

It also includes the final $1.1 million contribution to the University of Idaho’s Agricultural Biotechnology Building, $3 million for the first half of a physical science building at Idaho State University and the state’s match for $1.7 million in federal money for a parole violator center.

But it also provides $150,000 to plan a $9.5 million classroom building at the University of Idaho, $150,000 for a $6.3 million fine arts center at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, $550,000 to plan the $10.4 million physical education building at Lewis-Clark State College and $150,000 for a master plan at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, whose buildings could cost the state millions.

But the biggest commitment is prompted by the $2 million for a master plan of the Boise State University Canyon County campus. Some lawmakers have speculated that the satellite campus will demand tens of millions of dollars in construction.

Statewide public defender

The new approach to dealing with death penalty trials and criminal appeals of all kinds was the result of the huge bills property owners in especially small counties have had to foot in high profile murder cases.

The best known is the Jerome County experience in seeking the death penalty against Jaime Charboneau.

After spending more than $400,000 for his public defenders at both the trial and appeals, the county threw up its hands after the execution order was reversed on a technicality and asked the judge to impose life without parole.

The Statewide Appellate Public Defender will handle all criminal defense appeals at state expense, just as the attorney general’s office opposes those appeals after conviction.

The defense fund, to be supported by prorated contributions from the counties, will be tapped to cover the high cost of an acceptable defense for someone facing execution if convicted.

Some, including Batt, are leery about the future of the fund patterned after one set up over a decade ago to cover catastrophic health costs incurred by poor people.

Within only a matter of years, the counties began pressing the state to underwrite the expense as further relief from property taxes. The dispute ended three years ago when Batt agreed.

The bill now is $12 million a year.

Counties and their lobbyists, Batt said, “are constantly looking for ways to relieve county budgets, and they’ve been successful at it. As long as we can afford it, I guess that’s the way it should be.

“But we continue to put out more state funding that relieves property taxes,” he said. “If we do that enough, we’ll have to raise state taxes.”