BOISE (Idaho Statesman) With the governor out of the state, Lt. Gov. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Janice McGeachin's task force on school indoctrination. The same shootout with two brothers whom Winegar describes as anti-government and anti-cop took the life of 29-year-old Police Officer Mark Stall, who became the first Boise cop to die in the line of duty. Investment property in Otto, NC. The back-and-forth continued for several minutes as Holmes pushed for a clear response while McGeachin danced around questions. Winds light and variable. Low near 35F. She is running for governor and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Xtreme Cubes Corp. maintains its disinfectant, HOCL, is safe on skin. Idaho and national health officials in both the private and public sectors have strongly cautioned people to avoid gathering for the holidays this year with people outside their own households, due to the continuing and rising spread of the virus. In turn, she fashioned her hands into a heart symbol in the picture, which she deleted after criticism erupted. The Idaho newspaper reports that the men were wearing orange shirts that referenced Todd C. Engel, an Idaho man who received 14 years in prison for his part in the standoff between rancher Cliven Bundy and federal authorities. Todd Engel is a militant who famously aimed a rifle at federal agents during a 2014 standoff over unpaid grazing fees on public land in Nevada. The escalating conflict seen now between McGeachin and Little is emblematic of the same chaotic approach to the pandemic we are seeing at the federal level, Craig Holman, a government affairs expert at the watchdog nonprofit Public Citizen, told The Daily Beast. But even Watters resignation wont be enough to cover the projected shortfall. McGeachin has been a vocal critic of GOP Gov. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease spread mostly through coughing, talking, breathing, and sneezing of infected persons. ", It also lays out a pledge to ignore any new restrictions which continue to curtail people's "freedom" and calls for "an end to the emergency orders issued by state and local government officials and the restoration of our constitutionally protected rights.". https://t.co/usQi4yVK4d pic.twitter.com/WhmLECGsYz. Idaho's Republican lieutenant governor and gubernatorial candidate, Janice McGeachin, attended a gathering where she was endorsed in a glowing introductory speech by a rightwing militia leader . Brad Little in next year's gubernatorial election. For all proposals, we do our due diligence. That process is currently under way on McGeachins proposal, he said. Lt. Gov. Quack, quack, quack. An extraordinary public feud between Idaho's two top leaders escalated on Tuesday when the state's governor, Brad Little, accused fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little's COVID orders, attending several rallies to protest against the restrictions during the pandemic, according to The Idaho Statesman. Idaho's lieutenant governor, Janice McGeachin, speaks during a mask burning event at the Idaho statehouse on 6 March 2021 in Boise, Idaho. This particular administration has been in office not quite two years, and so their working relationship is relatively new, said Chaney, but historically I can't recall a similar example, even [back in the 1980s] when we had a Repubiclan lieutenant governor and a Democratic governor.. Janice McGeachin probably holds the highest elected office of any explicit far-right "Patriot" extremist in the United States: Idaho's lieutenant governor is an unabashed fan of the "Three . Educated at the University of Arizona, McGeachin owned several businesses in . She has been involved in children and youth ministries and served as a Ruling Elder within the church, the bio reads. The Lieutenant Governor of Idaho was filmed with a gun and a bible in her car as part of a video in which state lawmakers question the existence of coronavirus and pledge to ignore any restrictions. about Watters upcoming resignation earlier on Monday. I feel like we have to stand up and return civility to politics, Randy Winegar, retired deputy chief of the Boise Police Department and a member of the new Defend & Protect Idaho PAC, told The Daily Beast. Conservative Republican & Principled America First Warrior who always stands up for individual rights A majority of Americans, on both sides of the aisle, say the nation is reopening too quickly, but among politicians the dispute is largely split down party lines. A week later, the Idaho State Alcohol Beverage Control Bureau warned the establishment that its liquor license could be pulled if it continued to violate the governors order by staying open. As Sewell wrote of McGeachin: "She left the Legislature's 2020 session early the lieutenant governor presides over the Senate to attend to her family business, a restaurant and pub in . . Janice McGeachin of overstepping her . Idaho Lt. Gov. The Idaho Statesman talked to an Anti-Defamation League historian about the hand signals, and he said that he didnt believe they represented white supremacy or white power but rather that they were symbols attached to the Three Percenter movement. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. McGeachin proposes a new COVID-19 response in Idaho without price tag, focus on face masks, Gov. An employee who answered the phone at The Celt told The Daily Beast that staff members were instructed not to speak with reporters. "Some public officials act as if they can restrict rights without consequence or pushback. Janice McGeachin on Tuesday touted a proposal shes crafted to funnel millions of the states CARES Act funds to a Nevada company for technology including walk-through disinfectant cubes to be installed at the state Capitol. I mean, his name is on it, Holmes pressed. In 2012, she and her family renovated an historic building in downtown Idaho Falls and established the areas only Irish restaurant, The Celt Pub & Grill. Katie Balevic. The definition of essential workers came from the White House, not the statehouse, but that was lost in the remarkable animosity between Idahos top leaders. Janice McGeachin spoke virtually at an event organized by White nationalist Nick Fuentes in Florida at the end of February. Legislative leaders are working to wrap up the legislative session by Friday. Retired deputy chief Randy Winegar says he knows extremism when he sees it. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? The ambulance then took Winegar back to the hospital. Janice McGeachin is a Conservative Republican and a principled America First Warrior who courageously stands up for the rights of the people no matter who is standing in her way.. #AmericaFirstWarrior BOISE A right-wing commentator with links to white supremacy groups, antisemitism and Islamophobia has endorsed Lt. Gov. But a group of retired police officers and sheriffs in her state who oppose extremism on either side of the political spectrum have come out against the Republican. Numerous other weapons were in the car, which had a Pennsylvania license plate. I dont know who he is, McGeachin replied. Ive never met him. Of Idahos 44 counties, 11 havent had a single case, Greg Chaney explained. She submitted it to Gov. America First Political Action Conference. She said she is unsure if the business will be fined or penalized, but that she has been in touch with the Idaho Department of Health about safety guidelines. The other was a polymer throwing knife that could elude a metal detector. However, we do have meetings on local levels., However, the ADL says of the group: The Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, both part of an anti-government extremist movement that has grown since President Obama took office, promote the idea that the federal government is plotting to take away the rights of American citizens and must be resistedThe Three Percenters, formed in late 2008, are a loosely organized movement centered around an obscure, and not particularly accurate, Revolutionary War statistic that claimed that only 3% of the American population during the Revolutionary War participated as combatants in the war., In a statement released through state Rep, Judy Boyle, Lt. Gov. Join now to get home delivery for as low as $10/month, any way you want it! Before Mondays lopsided 12-23 vote, Senate Education Committee Chairman Dave Lent suggested other education savings accounts legislation might be in the works. He has listened to advice from state health officials, further drawing criticism from the right, David-Simonds told The Daily Beast. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Brad Little has acted like a Democrat through this whole thing, and the people know it. Subscribe to the America First Warrior Newsletter. Her participation in that event -- which also featured the likes of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona-- was the subject of an interview she did with a local reporter named Brian Holmes, who works for a Boise TV station. Officer: We have shots fired, we have an officer down.. Idaho primary elections are just a year away, and although a few statewide races are shaping up, not much has been said about the top of the ticket. Lt. Gov @JaniceMcGeachin refuses comment to reporter @ScottLoganKBOI after controversial social media post w/ 3 Percenter Group. Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is Idaho's Lt. Winegar speaks as someone with personal experience with extremism in the form of a bullet that came within millimeters of killing him and still causes him considerable pain 23 years later. Success! Scott Bedke have been touring the state to build support for the Idaho Launch proposal, Little said at press conference Friday. Brad Little temporarily stepped out of . Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin. But if you look at who she is associating with and who she surrounds herself with, that gives me concern. Yet, he said, Blaine County, where the Sun Valley ski resort is located, at one point exceeded the per capita infection rate of any other place in the country, including New York Citythe hottest spot in the U.S. I think its understandable to express disagreement, or even frustration, given everything thats going on, Chaney said, but I think its important that we all look for constructive ways to express that. A Moscow independent physician, Dr. Rod Story, joined the group and agreed, saying he recovered from COVID-19 and most will. FILE Lt. Gov. It reads, I wholeheartedly reject bigotry and discrimination in all of its forms. About 140 people An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Would you like to receive our daily news? Idahos current modified Stage 2 restrictions dont require any Idaho businesses to close, and they exempt churches from limits on gatherings. Crosby said his band will be moving the Saturday show to a new venue. She also served as the 1st Vice State Chair for the Trump Idaho State Committee and as a Trump Delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, says the bio. She explained that the family turned a historic building into an Irish restaurant. Little, however, has not lost his check, he has not lost his medical., The lieutenant governor has more stones than the governor, said Lohman. The OK hand signal is sometimes associated with white supremacy, although some have argued thats a 4Chan hoax. The couple has two children, who are involved in the family businesses. It's pronounced Mc-Gee-in. Janice McGeachin is Idahos Lt. Credit: KTVB. In a Feb. 28 interview that went viral on Wednesday, reporter Brian Holmes of Boise's KTVB-TV asked McGeachin about her video appearance at the America First Political . He subsequently returned to duty and rose in the ranks to deputy chief. However, the feud between McGeachin and Little is playing out among two conservatives in a deep red state. Idaho Lt. Gov. Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. We had a pretty clear picture after investigators spent a lot of time combing through their history [that] they had some militia mentality, kinda anti-government mindset, anti-police mindset.. I would think Idahoanslike the rest of the countryare looking for science-based information rather than political fights right now.. Heres how. Facebook Janice McGeachin, who's running for governor, has thrown some of her political weight into a child welfare case involving a 10-month-old baby. Janice McGeachin is a Conservative Republican and a principled America First Warrior who courageously stands up for the rights of the people no matter who is standing in her way. Disobey Idaho was organized by the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), a right-wing group backed by the conservative State Policy Network. It comes as Idaho has seen record-breaking numbers of new daily cases in October, bringing the total to 62,746, according to state government figures. The bio adds that McGeachin is a member of the First Presbyterian Church. 2 Attempts Power Grab in Governor's Absence. Once I discovered a few people had begun erroneously assigning sinister motives which are contrary to my true character, I immediately deleted the post., However, in the statement, she also writes that Engel was treated unjustly. She said the photo was intended to show support for Engel and nothing more., According to a 2017 biography of McGeachin, which she posted to her Facebook page, she and Jim McGeachin, her husband of more than 30 years, own and operate three businesses in the automotive industry, with stores in Idaho Falls and Boise.. (AP/Getty) The trip by Little and . Do you still believe in freedom? Yenor is no stranger to culture wars. The Three Percenters movement, it appears like she's pretty closely associated there and some of their members and folks affiliated with them have violent tendencies., He added, There's a fairly famous or infamous photo of the leader of the Three Percenters laying out on the pavement with his rifle trained on federal law enforcement officers. Winegar was later told that the bullet just missed his femoral artery. Wednesdays CFAC agenda includes a $5 million proposal from the state Department of Health & Welfare to fund contract respiratory therapists and nurses for Idaho hospitals through the end of December as the states COVID-19 cases continue to swell and hospitals face staffing shortages; and another $300,000 proposal to train providers to administer the new COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available in Idaho. Chance of snow 40%. Brad Littles coronavirus response and call for Idahoans to gather to celebrate Thanksgiving with courage, said with very high-tech equipment manufactured by Xtreme Cubes Corp. in Henderson, Nev., A person can walk through a cube and be disinfected from head to toe, including on the bottom of their feet.. The bullet severed his aorta, coming to rest between his back and the ballistic panel in his vest. Sign up today for one of our great newsletters and get headlines right in your inbox every morning. She was pictured in a controversial photo with members of the Three Percenters movement. brussell@idahopress.com, Former Idaho Gov. McGeachin, who held a statewide virtual press conference with pastors and business owners around the state to decry current Gov. Boise State Public Radio reporter James Dawson. There was an error processing your request. Janice McGeachin issued a new executive order on "vaccine passports" on Tuesday, continuing a pattern of issuing . HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. But while employees are required to wear face masks during their shifts, customers are not. Janice McGeachin of overstepping her . Ahern was fined by the city of Henderson for holding the packed rally in violation of the local COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Businesses and hospitality venues can remain open and travel is not restricted. You don't say the "ch" in her last name. Janice McGeachin is the lieutenant governor of Idaho. Just last week, McGeachin said that "God calls us to pick up the sword and fight, and Christ will reign in the state of Idaho.". She has even gone so far as to accuse her opponentwho recently signed a state ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancyof "siding with the radical leftists and satanists" in his pro-life stance. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. McGeachin on Monday submitted a notice she raised Machele Hamilton's salary to $37 per hour, the equivalent of nearly $77,000 in annual pay . Idaho's No. In opposition to any extremist candidates, Winegar has joined some two dozen of his fellow law enforcement veterans in forming the Defend & Protect Idaho CPAC. Driver, very slowly, I want you to step out, keep your hands where we can see them. but McGeachin said in a Facebook post that The Celt is a restaurant and was allowed to reopen earlier . Born in New Mexico, the staunchly anti-abortion McGeachin is Idahos first female lieutenant governor. Editorial: A hometown humiliation. My agreed upon last day of work in this office will be the end of the 2022 legislative session, Watters wrote in an email he sent Monday morning to David Fulkerson, deputy administrator with the Idaho Division of Financial Management. The Celt Pub and Grill serves up . "Even here in Idaho, Mr. Little chose to follow the Democrats' lead by changing the election date and not allowing in-person voting.". On Wednesday, Fulkerson told McGeachin and Watters that McGeachins office would still face a projected shortfall of about $6,000 even if both of McGeachins employees stopped working on March 30. The website of that movement defines it as a national organization made up of patriotic citizens who love their country, their freedoms, and their liberty. The official page of the Honorable Janice McGeachin, the state's first female Lt. McGeachin is one of eight candidates running for governor in the 2022 Republican primary on May 17. The primary was a lot closer, with McGeachin fending off four other Republican candidates. Keep your hand (sic) where we can see them. Lift your jacket up for me and turn around., Officer: Lift your jacket up for me and turn around, sir., Officer: Lift your jacket up and turn around.. FILE . Republican lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the governor's pandemic response with many attending "special sessions" at the state parliament, where they claimed the COVID restrictions were unconstitutional, according to The Idaho Stateman. In the recent video, she is joined by Republican state representatives, Tammy Nichols, Dorothy Moon, Bryan Zollinger, Christy Zito, Chad Christensen, Priscilla Giddings, Tony Wisniewski, Heather Scott, Ron Nate and Karey Hanks, to protest against the COVID rules. Life is much more than hiding in our homes, he said. One and then the other suspect began firing. IFF spokesman Dustin Hurst said: "I think many are missing the point of the video. Brad Little, right, in the state's May 17 Republican primary. In the 2010 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 56,813 (2019 estimate: 62,888), with a metro population of 133,265.. Idaho Falls serves as the commercial, cultural, and . The day after Littles broad stay-at-home order eased earlier this month, McGeachin attended a Disobey Idaho protest outside the state capitol building. Photo: McGeachin for Governor Campaign. The Democratic mayor of Des Moines, Frank Cownie, has criticized Iowa governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, for the same reason. Brad Littles oversight of the coronavirus pandemic. Brad Little on Friday repealed an executive order banning mask mandates by state entities that Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin was filmed in her truck, holding a gun and bible as part of a video to protest COVID restrictions despite a rapid rise of cases in the state. Janice McGeachin, left, who is expected to challenge Gov. Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise bureau chief and state capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. This is the perfect time for America to fight for its civil rights., McGeachin, 57, was a delegate for Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican National Convention, and vice-chair of Idahos statewide committee to elect Trump. Janice McGeachin accepted $314,727 under the Paycheck Protection Program. In a blog post, Wayne Hoffman, the IFFs executive director, told followers that the state, country, and economy are in a death spiral, inflicted by our elected officials and their teams of health experts.. Weeks after it reopened, Texas has experienced a surge in COVID-19 deaths.