Sign up for our newsletter.

Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.

Follow us:

THIS ISN’T A PAYWALL

Common Dreams will never be locked behind a paywall because we believe our journalism should remain freely available to everyone ― not just those who can afford to pay. By becoming a sustaining monthly donor today, you can help make sure our work remains free for those who aren't able to chip in.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Corporate gatekeepers and big tech monopolists are making it more difficult than ever for independent media to survive. Please chip in today.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin

Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin speaks during a protest against public health measures regarding the Covid-19 pandemic at the Idaho Statehouse on March 6, 2021 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

'Holy Hell': Idaho's Far-Right Lt. Gov. Bans Vaccine Mandates With Governor Out of State

Gov. Brad Little promptly announced he would rescind the lieutenant governor's order.

Julia Conley

An executive order issued by Idaho's far-right lieutenant governor had been announced only minutes earlier when Gov. Brad Little said Tuesday night that he would rescind the directive aimed at banning vaccine mandates.
 
Little's second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, announced Tuesday on social media that with Little out of the state for a meeting with Republican governors in Texas, she had the authority to prohibit all state facilities—including public schools—from requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination or mandatory testing.
 
McGeachin, who has previously issued executive orders while Little was out-of-state, said on Twitter that she was "fixing" an order the governor issued earlier this year, which only covered non-educational facilities and didn't include a ban on testing requirements.
 
 
"I have not authorized the Lt. Governor to act on my behalf," said Little in a statement shared on social media just four minutes after McGeachin's announcement. "I will be rescinding and reversing any actions taken by the Lt. Governor when I return."
 
Little is expected to return to Idaho Wednesday evening.
 
Epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding was among those who expressed shock at McGeachin's actions.
 
 
While also a far-right Republican, Little has allowed local governments in Idaho to issue mask mandates and other restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Little and McGeachin clashed in the early weeks of the pandemic, when Little shut down bars in the state. The lieutenant governor has attended events where people burned face coverings in protest of mask mandates, and appeared in a video last October which stated the pandemic "may or may not be occurring" while hospitals across Idaho were approaching capacity.
 
At the time, Little responded that he hoped "some people have passed the point of thinking the pandemic is not real or is not a big deal, or that their personal actions don't really affect anything."
 
McGeachin also attempted to ban mask mandates in May while Little was at a conference in Nashville—an executive order which was quickly reversed by the governor.
 
As a significant segment of the U.S. population has remained unvaccinated and right-wing news outlets and politicians have pushed misinformation about the vaccines, public health experts have called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge mask-wearing in high-transmission areas regardless on vaccination status, and officials have issued vaccine mandates in a number of states.
 
President Joe Biden announced in late July that federal workers would be required to show proof of vaccination and government employees in states including New York, North Carolina, and California are also now required to be vaccinated.
 
McGeachin, who is running for the Republican nomination in next year's election for governor and will likely face Little in the primary, also attempted on Tuesday to activate the Idaho National Guard and send troops to the southern U.S. border but was told by the guard's commanding general that assistance had not been requested from border states.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Comments

We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Related

Latest News

See all
teachers gun control

'We Need Fewer Guns in Schools, Not More': Teachers Reject GOP Call for Armed Educators

"Teachers should be teaching, not acting as armed security guards," the president of a leading teachers' union asserted in the wake of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Texas.

Brett Wilkins ·

Ted Cruz cut-out outside NRA convention

Faith Leaders, Teachers Mobilize for Protests at NRA's Houston Meeting in Wake of Uvalde Massacre

"Don't look away," said one advocacy group. "Rally against the NRA."

Julia Conley ·

Letitia James

NY Appeals Court Rules Trump and Two of His Kids Must Testify in Financial Fraud Case

"Our investigation will continue undeterred because no one is above the law," said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Kenny Stancil ·

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks at a press conference

After Racist Massacre in Buffalo, Senate GOP Blocks Domestic Terrorism Bill

"There are a lot of MAGA Republicans for whom no amount of gun violence... will ever, ever convince them to take any action," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Jake Johnson ·

DSA For the Many slate

Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Entire Slate of Democratic Socialists in NY

"As AOC knows," DSA For the Many tweeted, "when we fight together, we win together!"

Brett Wilkins ·

Most Popular

 
  1. 'Ted Cruz, F-ck You!': Anger Erupts at Gun-Loving GOP After Mass Slaughter in Texas
  2. 'Perverse' Supreme Court Ruling 'Effectively Ensures That Innocent People Will Remain Imprisoned'
  3. Florida Student's Graduation Speech About Curly Hair Highlights Cruelty of 'Don't Say Gay' Law
  4. Nearly 90,000 Small Businesses in US Expected to Close After Senate GOP Kills Main Street Relief Bill
  5. 'She Can Win If We Stand With Her': Sanders to Rally for Cisneros in Texas
  6. 'You'll Learn Why': GOP Lawmaker Threatens Biden If Democrats Try to Take Away Guns
  7. Trump-Loving Americans Drinking Deep From Orban's Fascist Well
  8. Omar Leads Charge Against Baby Formula Monopolies Amid US Shortage
  9. 'This Is on You!' Beto Interrupts Abbott Press Conference on Texas Massacre
  10. Millions More Kids Going Hungry Since GOP, Manchin Killed Expanded Child Tax Credit
Common Dreams Logo

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.