Idaho's lieutenant governor banned mask mandates while the governor was out of state


While the governor's away, the lieutenant governor will play — or, in the case of Idaho's Republican Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, she will issue an executive order prohibiting mask mandates, despite there never being a statewide ban.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) was in Tennessee on Thursday for a GOP conference, and during his absence, McGeachin — who announced last week she is running for governor in 2022 — banned mask mandates. McGeachin tweeted that she issued the order, which does not apply to hospitals, health care facilities, or federal buildings, "to protect the rights and liberties of individuals and businesses."
While some school districts and cities, like Boise, did have requirements for face coverings, the state has never had a blanket mask mandate. Idaho has reported more than 191,800 COVID-19 cases, with over 2,090 confirmed deaths.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The governor's office told KTVB that McGeachin did not let Little — who has not revealed if he will seek re-election — know ahead of time that she planned on issuing the order. "Idahoans value local control and the local approach to addressing important issues," Little's office said, adding that there will be "a thorough review of this executive action."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump threatens Russia with 'severe tariffs'
speed read The president also agreed to sell NATO advanced arms for Ukraine
-
IDF blames 'error' for strike on Gaza water line
Speed Read Israeli forces attack Palestinians, including children, collecting water in central Gaza
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to Ukraine
Speed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.