On Wednesday, the Idaho governor issued an executive order to repeal his political rival’s executive orders relating to COVID-19 vaccine passports & mandatory testing.
Republican Governor. Brad Little was in Texas when the order was issued. This is a challenge to the state’s tradition of making the lieutenant Governor acting governor when the governor has been out of the state.
Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin is a far-right Republican running for Little’s position. She issued her order Tuesday and sought to activate the Idaho National Guard as well as send soldiers to the U.S.–Mexico border.
Little is currently in Texas with nine other Republican governors to discuss concerns about President Joe Biden’s handling of border issues. The governor of Idaho and the lieutenant governor are not on the same ticket. We were not expecting much by Wednesday night.
Little’s executive orders seem to set the stage for a court challenge in order to determine who will be in charge of the state when the governor leaves.
Little’s order says that McGeachin was not authorized to act by him, and it cites Idaho law.
The executive order states that “nor does my temporary presence here in Texas for official business impair me ability to represent the peoples of Idaho, thus necessitating action from another executive to ensure continuity of state government.”
It is also noted that Little had been banned by an executive order from requiring vaccination passports.
Little’s order states that McGeachin’s order banning COVID-19 testing would hurt the state’s ability curb the spread of this disease.
Idaho currently faces crisis standards of care due to unvaccinated COVID-19-infected patients flooding hospitals. The disease has claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 Idahoans.
Little’s office refused to comment on his executive order.
McGeachin’s Office didn’t respond to a call from The Associated Press.
The office of the attorney general, which would seem to be required to represent the top state executive in the dispute has declined to comment.
