BOISE, Idaho — The latest issue to roil conservatives in Idaho is now private businesses and entities requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Previously, some of Idaho's hardline conservatives clamored for the state to keep itself out of people's personal freedoms and liberties over face mask mandates. Now, some of those same people, are trying to get the state government to interfere with business' policies.
One of those people includes Idaho Lieutenant Governor, and current candidate for Idaho Governor, Janice McGeachin, who just called on the Idaho state legislature to call for a special session over businesses' vaccine requirements.
However, other Idaho Republicans aren't so sure interfering with Idaho's at-will work policies is enough to reconvene the legislature.
Idaho Speaker of the House, and current candidate for Idaho lieutenant governor, Scott Bedke told The 208 this week that lawmakers should work through the problem.
"Call me an old-school Republican, but I think that the government that governs best is the government that governs least," he said.
Bedke was joined by Idaho Senate President, Chuck Winder, R-Boise, on Wednesday when he spoke with The 208 and said the push lacks strategy.
"There's definitely a push from the House side to take a look at it but I don't know that they've figured out an actual strategy going forward," he said. "And at this stage, I really don't know whether there's a majority that would like to come back and deal with it."
Winder outlined some paths lawmakers could take but without a strategy, calls for a special session may ring hollow.
"Most the people I'm hearing from at least are saying, 'I don't know that we need a special session cause we don't know exactly what needs to be done yet or how it could be done,' so we'll know more after our meeting on Friday," he said.
He also wondered where hospitals and health systems would draw the line, such as if vendors would face the same requirement as frontline healthcare workers.
"The basic principle, that I think is a pretty strong principle within the Republican Party, is less government interference is the best and so when you decide you're going to go in and tell the private sector to do something it better be for a very good, very good reason," Winder said.
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