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Gov. Little defends pandemic executive action during Idaho Press Club breakfast

Little addressed critics of his executive actions and pending legislation aimed at trimming his power.

BOISE, Idaho — For weeks Idaho lawmakers have worked on legislation that would trim down some of the executive power available to the governor of Idaho. This comes as some lawmakers continue to criticize Gov. Brad Little over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Wednesday morning, Little defended his actions during the annual Idaho Press Club 'Breakfast with the Governor.'

“The no-action alternative would have been a disaster in the state of Idaho," Little said. "What I talk about in where we are economically, where we are with kids in school, where we are in healthcare capacity, is a result of the things I did in consultation with public health experts, in consultation with the businesses community and a lot of it in consultation with the Legislature. Not officially while they were here, but in calls we had on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with the Legislature.” 

One point of contention for some lawmakers has been over Little’s emergency declarations and provisions, which he has continued to roll over every month since last spring. Critics say it’s taking the executive power too far and that the Legislature should be involved with the decision-making process at a certain point. As recently as Wednesday morning, lawmakers argued for legislation that would allow them to call themselves back into session to take on complicated issues like handling a pandemic. Little made the case that executive action is much faster than the legislative process.

“That’s a part of the system, that does not bode well for a fire, flood, a fast-growing pandemic, foodborne outbreak, all of those things that are vested in every state in the chief executive officer,” Little said.

It’s no secret Little has been heavily criticized by his own party for action he took over the last several months, some calling him a tyrant, others labeling him a self-proclaimed king. He says it simply comes with the job.

“Yes, I’ve been called some naughty words, but I understand that it kind of goes with the territory," Little said. "You got to get stuff done during an emergency and when you get stuff done there is people that are going to have a philosophical, a good philosophical difference with you. You need to be aware of that, but it shouldn’t deter you from doing your job.”    

READ MORE: Idaho Senate OKs plan for lawmakers to call special sessions

Little also responded to a major announcement from President Joe Biden that the U.S. is on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May. Little says a call with the White House Tuesday gave him a much different impression. He doesn’t think the math adds up.

“What they are telling us, the amount of vaccine we are going to get, it does not comport with having that much vaccine,” Little said. “I did the math yesterday after the call and then I sent an email to my public health team. It looks like we are going to have 120 percent of what we have right now. That isn’t going to get us nearly to that point that the president talked about. He may know something that I don’t, I wish he’d share it with myself and the rest of the governors.”

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