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."

Idaho gov repeals lieutenant gov's executive order banning mask mandates, unloads on her 'irresponsible abuse of power'



Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) on Friday repealed an executive order overriding local mask mandates, blasting his Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin (R) for issuing the order in his absence.

"The action that took place was an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt," Little said in a statement.

The governor accused McGeachin's order of usurping legislative powers with an "over-the-top executive action" that "amounts to tyranny." His repeal order aims to "restore local control" over public health ordinances, permitting Idaho localities to impose mask mandates, including for children, if they deem it necessary to protect public health.

Idaho never adopted a statewide mask mandate because Little believed a top-down order from the state government would violate conservative principles respecting local government.

Earlier this week, Little was out of state to attend a meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Nashville, Tennessee. Idaho law elevates the lieutenant governor to serve as acting governor with all the governor's powers "in case of temporary inability to perform his duties or in the case of his temporary absence from the state."

While he was away, McGeachin used her temporary authority to issue the executive order banning local governments from implementing mask mandates.

McGeachin announced last week that she will run in the Republican primary for governor. She did not notify Little, her primary opponent, of her intention to issue the order.

"Taking the earliest opportunity to act solitarily on a highly politicized, polarizing issue without conferring with local jurisdictions, legislators and the sitting governor is, simply put, an abuse of power," Little said, blasting McGeachin. "This kind of over-the-top executive action amounts to tyranny — something we all oppose."

Little accused McGeachin's order of violating Idaho state law, which provides that school district trustees, cities, counties, and public health districts have the power to enact policies to protect pubic health. The law also prohibits executive orders from changing state law.

"How ironic that the action comes from a person who has groused about tyranny, executive overreach, and balance of power for months," Little said.

"Furthermore, the executive order presents some pretty alarming consequences," he continued. "For example, we would not be able to require safety measures for social workers visiting homes of at-risk individuals, or workers in our state testing lab, or employees at congregate facilities that are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious disease, threatening loss of life and added strain on the health care system we all depend on."

Then his statement got personal:

The executive order also conflicts with other laws on the books.

This is why you do your homework, Lt. Governor.

Let me offer some advice as Idaho's duly elected Governor – governing in a silo is NOT governing.

I am always reluctant to engage in political ploys, especially when I have been steadfast in meeting the simultaneous goals of protecting both lives and livelihoods.

I do not like petty politics. I do not like political stunts over the rule of law.

However, the significant consequences of the Lt. Governor's flimsy executive order require me to clean up a mess.

Responding, McGeachin told supporters in a statement that Gov. Little "chose to revoke your personal freedom by rescinding my order and imposing mask mandates on thousands of Idaho children."

"I understand that protecting individual liberty means fighting against tyranny at ALL levels of government — federal, state, and local. It is your God-given right to make your own health decisions, and no state, city, or school district ever has the authority to violate your unalienable rights," McGeachin said.

"As your Lt. Governor, I remain undeterred and unwavering in my commitment to defend your rights and freedoms against all who would violate them. Now, more than ever, we must stand together against those who prioritize their own power above individual liberty."

Idaho Lt. Gov. fills in while governor out of state, issues executive order banning mask mandates



When Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) was out of state this week, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin (R) became acting governor in Little's absence and took the opportunity to issue an executive order banning mask mandates in the state, including those imposed by local governments.

What are the details?

Gov. Little left the state to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier in the week, and was due back in Idaho on Thursday evening. But before he could make it back home, the lieutenant governor decided to take full advantage of her brief elevated position of authority.

McGeachin tweeted Thursday, "Today, as acting Governor of the State of Idaho, I signed an Executive Order to protect the rights and liberties of individuals and businesses by prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions — including public schools — from imposing mask mandates in our state."

A spokesperson for Little told the Idaho Statesman, "The Lt. Gov. did not make Governor Little aware of her executive order ahead of time."

The Associated Press reported that just last week, McGeachin announced that she was running for governor herself. Little has not yet announced whether he will run for a second term, but if he does, the incumbent would face a GOP primary challenge from McGeachin.

The outlet reported that "McGeachin is on the far right of the political spectrum in the conservative state, and her order could bolster her support as a candidate for governor."

"I've been listening to people all across the state with the concern about, especially, why are little kids being forced to wear masks in school," McGeachin told the AP in an interview. "My oath to the Constitution is to protect those rights and freedoms of the individual, and I've never supported any type of a mandate on the individual, especially when it comes to health care choices."

While some localities and school districts in Idaho issued mask orders during the coronavirus pandemic, Little never issued a statewide mask mandate. Given that fact, another fellow Republican, Idaho state House Speaker Scott Bedke, accused McGeachin of issuing the order for show.

"There were no statewide mask mandates," Bedke told the Statesman. "So what you have here is a solution in search of a problem, and it's political theater."