Governors This Week: Power Struggles, Electric Vehicles & More

ID Gov in Power Struggle with Lt. Gov:

A simmering feud between Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin (R) became public last week when Little said he would rescind an executive order McGeachin issued in his absence that banned Gem State schools from imposing mask or vaccine mandates.

The kerfuffle started when McGeachin, who has already announced her candidacy for governor in next year’s election, issued Executive Order No. 2021-13, a directive she said “fixed” a previous EO of Little’s that addressed vaccine passports.

It took all of eight minutes for Little to tweet his response: “I will be rescinding and reversing any actions taken by the Lt. Governor when I return.”

That wasn’t all. In his statement on Twitter, Little said McGeachin tried to go around him to order Idaho National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Before I even left the state, the Lt. Governor unabashedly requested information from the Adjutant General to deploy our National Guard to the border, the same place I am visiting today to work with my fellow Republican governors on solutions to the crisis,” Little wrote, calling it “political grandstanding.”

It is not the first time McGeachin has tried to one-up Little when he has left the state. In May, she issued an executive order banning mask mandates while Little was attending a National Governors Association meeting in Nashville. Little angrily rescinded that directive as soon as he returned, calling her action “an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.”

Little has not indicated if he will run for re-election next year, but McGeachin has already made clear her intention to seek the office no matter what. (ROUTE FIFTY, CNN, YAHOO NEWS)

Midwest Govs Create Electric Vehicle Pact:

The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin pledged last week to collaborate on developing an electric vehicle charging network across their states. The Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition (REV Midwest) agreement specifically cites “opportunities to work on medium and heavy-duty fleet electrification, by coordinating on charging infrastructure, standardizing regulations and in other ways.” (NPR, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

MI Gov Vetoes ‘Big Lie’ Election Bills:

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vetoed a quartet of bills last week she called part of a national Republican disinformation campaign to “perpetuate ‘the Big Lie’” that Donald Trump actually won the 2020 presidential election.

“Right now, Michigan Republicans are participating in a coordinated, national attack on voting rights that is designed to undermine confidence in our election system and systematically disenfranchise Black voters, communities of color, older voters, and college students,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I will have no part in any effort that grants an ounce of credence to this deception, so harmful to our democracy.”

The measures are:

HB 4837, which would have barred third-party organizations from accessing the Qualified Voter File (QVF), which they do not have access to currently.

HB 4838, which would have additionally barred the electronic poll book at each election precinct or absent voter counting board from being connected to the internet after the polls open on election day.

HB 4492, which would have changed how municipalities choose a venue for polling location.

HB 4528, which would have provided training for election challengers.

Whitmer said she is willing to reconsider HB 4528, saying the intention is worthy but that the bill currently lacks a funding mechanism. (DETROIT FREE PRESS, MLIVE)

-- Compiled by Rich Ehisen