Phil Batt was the governor and lieutenant governor of the State of Idaho. A Republican, he would garner a reputation for being a hawk on human rights and fiscal matters. Batt also became well-known for his sense of humor and love of animals.
Perhaps his best-known achievement as governor is the 'Batt Agreement' reached in 1995. The deal was designed to ensure that the federal government removed nuclear waste from the Idaho National Laboratory.
Passed away on March 4, 2023
Phil Batt has died, reported the Idaho Capital Sun and the Idaho Business Review.
His passing occurred on March 4, his birthday. An exact cause of death was not immediately specified. But it was reportedly peaceful and at his home.
Current Idaho Governor Brad Little and U.S. Senator Jim Risch have been among those to mourn Batt's death. Risch is the former chairman of the U.S. Senate's Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and Foreign Relations Committee.
Batt's career as an elected politician began as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives. He was later elected to the Idaho Senate, eventually becoming president pro tempore. In 1968, Batt unsuccessfully sought the chairmanship of the Idaho chapter of the Republican party. Ten years later, he was elected lieutenant governor, defeating Democratic incumbent William J.
Murphy.
Batt first ran for governor in 1982. He lost to incumbent Democratic Governor John Evans. Two years later, he was again elected to the State Senate. Batt eventually resigned from the Senate in 1988. He was appointed by Democratic Governor and former U.S. Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus to the state's transportation board.
Batt was selected as chairman of the Idaho Republican Party in his second go at it in 1991.
In 1994, Batt ran again for governor. This time, he prevailed over Democratic State Attorney General Larry Echo Hawk. Though he tracked high approval ratings, Batt chose not to run for another term. Republican U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne was elected to succeed him as governor.
Kempthorne later also became the United States secretary of the interior.
In 2000, Batt served as a Presidential elector.
Was a World War II veteran
Phil Batt was a native of Wilder in western Idaho. He would graduate from high school there before attending the University of Idaho. There, he studied chemical engineering. Batt also became a noted musician, playing the saxophone and the clarinet. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
In 1948, Batt married Jacque Fallis in northwestern Idaho, specifically Potlatch. Jacque had initially been hailed from Spokane, Washington. They would have three children before she died. In 2015, Batt married his second wife, Frances, a Boise native.
