Topline
Idaho Gov. Brad Little rescinded Friday an executive order his lieutenant governor issued Thursday while the governor was out of town that banned localities and schools from imposing their own mask mandates, with Little blasting the surprise order as an act of “tyranny.”
Idaho Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin speaks during a mask burning event at the Idaho ... [+]
Key Facts
Idaho Lieutenant Gov. Janice McGeachin, a Republican, signed an order Thursday blocking mask orders at the local and school level, which claimed masks have done “significant physical, mental, social and economic harm” and went into effect at 11 a.m.
McGeachin, a frequent critic of Little who is challenging the governor in the state’s 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary, was serving as acting governor while Little was in Nashville for a Republican Governors Association meeting.
Little’s office said in a statement Thursday that McGeachin had not told him she would impose the order ahead of time, saying residents “value local control and the local approach to addressing important issues.”
The governor then rescinded the mask ban Friday, saying in a statement McGeachin’s order was “an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt” that “amounts to tyranny.”
While Little has never imposed a statewide mask mandate, the governor said keeping localities from imposing their own measures “runs contrary to a basic conservative principle – the government closest to the people governs best.”
Crucial Quote
“The action that took place while I was traveling this week is not gubernatorial,” Little said Friday. “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.”
Big Number
191,877. That’s the total number of Covid-19 cases that have been recorded in Idaho as of Friday, according to the state government, including 139 cases recorded Thursday. The state’s case rate is trending downward, though Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with only 37% of its population so far receiving at least one dose.
Key Background
McGeachin’s order banning local mandates follows in the footsteps of other Republican state leaders who have done the same nationwide, including in Florida, Texas and Iowa. In addition to Little, the orders have come under heavy criticism from Democratic critics who do not believe local leaders’ powers should be curbed during the pandemic. “We don't know what's coming down the road,” Iowa state Rep. Christina Bohannan, a Democrat, said about that state’s law banning local orders. “And we shouldn't tie the hands of local governments and school boards in responding to any kinds of future illnesses or threats.” Governors have frequently been a target for criticism throughout the pandemic over perceived abuses of power by keeping restrictions in place or not going far enough to drop them, with Republicans in states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan pushing back against their Democratic leaders and taking steps to limit their power.
Further Reading
Lt. Gov. McGeachin, acting Idaho governor, bans mask mandates (KTVB7)
Mask Mandates Now Banned For Local Governments And Schools In Growing Number Of GOP States (Forbes)
