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Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin of Idaho took advantage of Gov. Brad Little’s out-of-state trip on Tuesday to issue an executive order banning educational institutions from requiring proof of employee vaccinations. She said on Twitter that in her quest for “individual freedom” she had “repaired” an order the governor had issued earlier.
Governor Little’s order, issued in the spring, prohibits state agencies from requiring or issuing proof of Covid vaccination, but does not specifically name universities and public schools K-12. Upon returning Wednesday from a trip to Texas, he quickly revoked Ms McGeachin’s order, writing that he had informed her that “no official business would require his services as acting governor” during his absence. .
The lieutenant governor, who is elected independently of the governor, challenges Mr. Little for the post, and the two have argued throughout their tenure. Ms McGeachin has consistently criticized Mr Little’s measures to contain the virus, calling his restrictions too far-reaching by the government. And this week was not their first political tour de force.
In May, when Mr Little was absent at the Republican Governors Association conference, Ms McGeachin banned mask warrants, which he later repealed. Idaho did not have a statewide mask mandate, but an executive order required masks in long-term care facilities and said they were “highly recommended” elsewhere. Mr. Little also didn’t stop municipalities from issuing their own mask guidelines.
Tuesday, Mrs. McGeachin also asked about the mobilization of the Idaho National Guard and sending troops to the Mexican border, where Mr. Little and other Republican governors had traveled that day.
Mr. Little responded on Facebook that “attempting to deploy our National Guard for political purposes is an affront to the constitution of Idaho.” In the past, he has described Ms. McGeachin’s activity in her absence as “irresponsible” and “selfish”.
When asked about the battles, Jaclyn J. Kettler, a political scientist at Boise State University, noted that although Mr. Little and Ms. McGeachin are Republicans, the lieutenant governor is politically more to the right and that there are tensions between the two, especially over coronavirus rules and restrictions.
While Ms McGeachin’s base may have been cheering her on for challenging Mr Little, Professor Kettler said: “Many Idahoans may be bewildered or frustrated by this kind of development.”
“The Covid situation here is not great,” she said.
About 42 percent of eligible people in Idaho are vaccinated, according to a New York Times database. The state’s recent weekly average has been around 1,300 new cases per day.
Michael levenson contributed reports.
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