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Page 39

Idaho

Philip Batt, Republican

Legislature: Republican

Took Office: 1/95

Grade: B

Batt, an onion farmer, served 16 years in the state

legislature and 4 years as lieutenant governor.  His first

term as Idaho's governor will also be his last, as Batt, 71,

is not seeking reelection this year.  Batt ran on a platform

of lower taxes, and he delivered the largest tax cut in

state history in his first year in office, a $40 million lo-

cal property tax cut.  Batt increased state aid to locali-

ties to offset that lost revenue.  Unfortunately, in his

second year in office Batt pushed through a 4-cent gas tax

hike and vehicle registration fee increase that raised reve-

nues nearly as much as they had been reduced the year be-

fore.  In 1996 he irritated taxpayer groups by opposing a 1

percent property tax cap initiative.  On the spending side,

Batt used zero-based budgeting to slow state budget growth

from 12 percent per year over the two years before he took

office to 5 percent per year over his first three years.

Unfortunately, this year Batt's parting gift to the state

was a proposal for a hefty 7.7 percent increase in spending.

On balance, Idaho has benefited from Batt's less-government,

pro-private-sector mode of governing.

Score Grade Rank

Overall Fiscal Policy Score

59

B

8

Spending Score

76

B

5

Revenue and Tax Rate Score

52

B

17

Amount

-1.6%

Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita Direct General Spending through 1996

-4.2%

Average Annual Change in Direct General Spending Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1996

-0.6%

Average Annual Recommended Change in Real Per Capita General Fund Spending through 1999

-2.0%

Average Annual Change in General Fund Spending Per $1,000 Personal Income 1996-98

0.6%

Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita Tax Revenue through 1997

-1.3%

Average Annual Change in Tax Revenue Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1997

-1.4%

Average Annual Recommended Change in General Fund Revenue Per $1,000 Personal Income through 1999

-1.3%

Average Annual Change in Real Per Capita General Fund Revenue 1996-98

-0.1%

Average Annual Recommended Tax Changes as % of Prior Year's Spending through 1999

0.0

Change in Top Personal Income Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)

0.0

Change in Top Corporate Income Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)

16.2

1998 Combined Top Income Tax Rates (Personal plus Corporate) (*0.5)

0.0

Change in Sales Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (% points)

4.0

Change in Gas Tax Rate, proposed and/or enacted (cents per gallon) (*0.5)