Story at a glance
- Idaho Gov. Brad Little reversed on Friday an executive order banning mask mandates issued while he was out of state at a governor’s conference.
- Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin on Thursday issued an executive order prohibiting mask mandates among state-wide political entities, including county governments, public schools, universities and libraries.
- “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.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) reversed on Friday an executive order banning mask mandates that was issued while he was out of state at a governor’s conference.
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin on Thursday took executive action prohibiting mask mandates among state-wide political entities, including county governments, public schools, universities and libraries.
Little, who has yet to issue a statewide mandate, described McGeachin’s executive action as an “irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.”
“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, according to CBS2.
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McGeachin announced her bid for governor last week and is reportedly using the order, which she posted to her website, to raise funds for her campaign.
“I firmly believe that you have the right to make your own decisions about masks, vaccines, and how to raise your children. You don’t need the government to tell you what to do,” her website reads.
But Little criticized McGeachin’s order as exactly what she has claimed to stand against during her time as lieutenant governor.
“This kind of over-the-top executive action amounts to tyranny — something we all oppose,” Little said. “How ironic that the action comes from a person who has groused about tyranny, executive overreach, and balance of power for months.”
Roughly 31 percent of Idaho’s residents have been fully vaccinated with more than 1.2 million doses administered, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Idaho has reported more than 191,000 cases and 2,090 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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