Idaho lieutenant gov issues vaccine order, tries to send National Guard troops to southern border while gov is out of state



For the second time this year, Republican Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin attempted to take advantage of Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little's absence to issue a COVID-19 related executive order — but the governor isn't having any of it.

What happened?

With Little out of state Tuesday, McGeachin issued an executive order barring employers in the state from implementing vaccine mandates for employees, the Associated Press reported.

Little was in Texas meeting with nine other Republican governors over concerns about President Biden's handling of the crisis at the U.S. southern border when the order was issued. But after he caught wind of McGeachin's maneuvering, Little issued a statement saying that he never authorized the order and vowing to repeal it immediately upon his return.

"I am in Texas performing my duties as the duly elected Governor of Idaho, and I have not authorized the Lt. Governor to act on my behalf," Little said in a statement shortly after arriving in Texas on Tuesday. "I will be rescinding and reversing any actions taken by the Lt. Governor when I return."

The AP noted that Little is expected back in the state Wednesday evening. The news agency also noted that in Idaho, the governor and lieutenant governor don't run on the same ticket. In fact, McGeachin is running for governor against Little in the state's next election.

What else?

McGeachin wasn't finished there, however. She also sought to deploy Idaho National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border this week in Little's absence.

In a letter to Maj. Gen. Michael J. Garshak obtained by the AP, McGeachin wrote, "As of Wednesday, my constitutional authority as Governor affords me the power of activating the Idaho National Guard. As the Adjutant General, I am requesting information from you on the steps needed for the Governor to activate the National Guard."

The lieutenant governor's request was ultimately rebuffed, but Little took notice of the attempt and used it to slam his opponent.

"Attempting to deploy our National Guard for political grandstanding is an affront to the Idaho constitution and insults the men and women who have dedicated their life to serving our state and the country," Little said in a statement.

Anything else?

In May, while Little was in Nashville, Tennessee, attending a meeting of the Republican Governors Association, McGeachin issued an executive order barring local governments from implementing mask mandates.

Little, who had never implemented a statewide mask mandate in Idaho, called the order an "irresponsible, self-serving political stunt."

Oregon rancher who led a standoff against the federal gov't is running for governor of Idaho



Ammon Bundy, the Oregon rancher famous for leading an armed occupation of a federal refuge in 2016, said that he's running for governor of Idaho.

"I'm running for Governor because I'm sick and tired of all of this political garbage just like you are," Bundy said in his written announcement. "I'm tired of our freedoms being taken from us and I'm tired of the corruption that is rampant in our state Government."

Bundy, 45, is running as a Republican and will challenge Idaho Gov. Brad Little in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

A statement by the Idaho GOP made it clear they were opposed to Bundy's campaign.

"Republicans are the party of law and order, and Ammon Bundy is not suited to call himself an Idaho Republican let alone run for Governor of our great state," said Tom Luna, the chairman of the Idaho GOP Party.

Bundy said at his first campaign event that one of his major goals was to get rid of personal and property taxes.

He and others were arrested in 2016 for seizing the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and occupying it for 41 days in a political protest. They were charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers and possession of firearms in a federal facility but were later acquitted.

In 2018, Bundy made headlines for his defense of some migrant refugees in light of what he thought was extreme generalizations made by then-President Donald Trump. Facing fierce backlash for his comments, Bundy denounced the "warmongers" who accused him of being soft on the threat from migrant refugees.

He also angered many in 2020 when he planned to attend a Black Lives Matter demonstration to support the defunding of the police.

"I am not in favor of abolishing the police, but I am in favor of minimizing their power," he explained.

Bundy has also been banned from the Idaho Capitol building in August for a year after two arrests.

Here's a local news report about the announcement:

Ammon Bundy to run for Idaho governorwww.youtube.com