My Response to Gov. Little’s Press Conference

Governor Little hosted a powerful press conference on Friday to address the majority party’s attempts in the legislature to place restrictions on his authority as Governor in an emergency. As he noted, we are nearing the final lap of the pandemic and we must stay on course in order to return to normal and cross the finish line.

I support the Governor’s statement. We need to continue our state of emergency, because we are still in an emergency and we need to be able to access federal dollars, taxpayer dollars, to support Idahoans in this crisis.

My in-box has been flooded with messages; most of those from D19 constituents who support the Governor’s declaration and his ability to declare an emergency. Included in those are small business owners who have noted that ending the declaration would be devastating to them at this point due to the federal aid they are receiving to get through the health crisis. 

I have, also, received messages (mostly not signed or from outside the district) that “demand” we end the state of emergency due to a myth, as the Governor indicated, that he is trying to infringe on citizens’ freedoms. And that myth is being spread by GOP legislators for what he labeled, “political gain” at the expense of Idahoans’ health and safety. 

I support the Idaho Constitution and the three branches of Government that serve as checks and balances for each other. I support the Governor’s statement and do NOT support ending the emergency declaration now because we are still in an EMERGENCY. We have lost over 1,600 people in Idaho, alone, and the current composition of Idaho’s legislature does not reflect the values of most Idahoans nor their best interests. 

In fact, some GOP members, like Rep Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) said,

“We are not meant to be co-equal branches of government. The main branch of government is actually the legislative body. Why? Because we have so many more people that need to work together in order to accomplish something.”

Ehardt said she believes the executive branch should have less power, and “the branch that is supposed to have the least amount of power, certainly not co-equal, would be the judicial branch.”

For those who say they value the Constitution, seem to be forgetting the Constitution, itself, which states, “The powers of the government of this state are divided into three distinct departments, the legislative, executive and judicial; and no person or collection of persons charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any powers properly belonging to either of the others, except as in this constitution expressly directed or permitted.” Idaho Supreme Court decisions often refer to the “co-equal branches” of the state government in Idaho.

It is so disheartening that my GOP colleagues are more interested in gaining more power instead of investing in our citizens. In the current makeup of this legislature, I do not support putting anymore power into the hands of the GOP who has actively fought against their own Governor who was elected to face these types of emergencies. 

There are mixed reviews on the Governor’s response: he’s doing too much or he’s not doing enough. What is important to ask, is he doing what is legal?  And has he functioned in a competent fashion to manage a once in a lifetime crisis?  

I may disagree with other policy choices, but keeping the declaration in place and making decisions based on medical professionals and scientific research, is in our best interests to fight a deadly virus.