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Debate in Idaho over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

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These pages were updated from March 2020 through June 2020 and do not contain the latest commentary available. To submit arguments for inclusion on this page, email editor@ballotpedia.org. To learn how Ballotpedia decides which arguments to feature, click here.


Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America's political and civic life. In addition to monitoring federal, state, and local responses to the coronavirus, we are also capturing the nationwide and local debates on whether to extend or lift coronavirus-related restrictions affecting the economy, schools, government operations, public health, religious services, and travel.

These arguments come from a variety of sources, including public officials, journalists, think tanks, economists, scientists, and other stakeholders. We encourage you to share the debates happening in your local community to editor@ballotpedia.org.


This article covers the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Idaho in response to the coronavirus pandemic. You will find the following:


Debate over stay-at-home orders and reopening in Idaho

Debate over reopening

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on reopening Idaho.


Debate over stay-at-home orders

See also: Debate over stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on the stay-at-home order in Idaho.

  • Idaho Governor Brad Little (R) (Idaho Statesman): Gov. Little said his stay-at-home order was necessary to protect people and that he had the authority to implement it.

    "The safety of the people of Idaho is paramount. And I have that constitutional authority. I have it by code, but I am not using it at all lightly. And it’s a heavy responsibility to me. ... We absolutely have to have this (order) take place, but our goal is not to arrest people. Our goal is to keep Idaho safe by maintaining this order." - "AG stands ready to defend stay-home order as Idaho officials question constitutionality," April 3, 2020.

  • Idaho State Rep. Heather Scott (R-1A) (Krem2): State Rep. Scott disapproved of government orders that determined essential vs. non-essential businesses and prevented public gatherings.

    "We have a God-given, constitutional right to peacefully assemble. That means no one can take that right away from you and you should not be bullied or intimidated to give up your rights. And when you have government telling you that your business is essential or non-essential, yours is non-essential and someone else's is essential, we have a problem there. I mean, that's no different than Nazi Germany where you had government telling people either you were an essential worker or a non-essential worker, and non-essential workers got put on a train." - "Idaho leaders say stay-at-home order violates constitutional rights as protests erupt nationwide," April 20, 2020.

  • House majority caucus chairwoman Megan Blanksma (R) (Idaho Press): House Majority Caucus Chairwoman Blanksma (R) said that the stay-at-home order was no longer necessary and should be lifted.

    "It is very clear that the statewide stay-in-place order is no longer necessary. The entirety of the state in no way meets the existing CDC requirements for a stay-at-home order and in many parts of our state no cases even exist. Businesses should be open, and people should be able to go about their lives." - "Local reactions to Gov. Little's extended stay-home order," April 15, 2020.

  • Boise Mayor Lauren McLean (Idaho Press): Mayor McLean said that existing measures were working.

    "The precautions we are taking now are helping our community manage the spread of COVID-19 … and they are working. The last thing we want is for the sacrifices and struggles we’ve made as a community under the stay-home order to have been for nothing if we return back to business as usual." - "Local reactions to Gov. Little's extended stay-home order," April 15, 2020.

  • Assistant House Minority Leader John McCrostie (D) (Idaho Press): House Minority Leader McCrostie argued that the diagnosed cases were only a fraction of the actual number and that the social distancing and stay-at-home measures should continue.

    "For every diagnosed case, there could be 10 or more transmissions, which is why we must continue staying at home and maintaining social distancing to keep flattening the curve." - "Local reactions to Gov. Little's extended stay-home order," April 15, 2020.

  • The Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry (Idaho Press): The Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry argued that lifting restrictions too soon could end up hurting the economy even more in the long run.

    "If restrictions were to be removed too quickly, and the virus was to spread like wildfire through the population, then consumers would pull back drastically and for a longer period of time. We support the Governor in not bending to political pressure, but putting people before politics and making decisions based on science." - "Local reactions to Gov. Little's extended stay-home order," April 15, 2020.

  • Kootenai County, Idaho, Commissioner Leslie Duncan (Krem2): "While many may argue the shutdown is for the health and safety of the public, more argue that the loss of jobs, increase in crime (specifically drug use and domestic violence), and irreparable damage to our economy will cause more loss of life than the Coronavirus. ... Death statistics indicate that COVID-19 will cause significantly fewer deaths than the flu, car accidents, suicide and abortion. ... From the beginning of the declared pandemic, I have advocated for the vulnerable population to take measures to protect themselves including staying home, and for those who have any symptoms of the virus to quarantine at home. Nowhere have I seen the social or economic benefit of healthy people staying home. If you have concerns about contracting the virus, or your family contracting the virus, please take necessary measures to protect yourselves. Don’t for a minute believe that you have the right to tell your neighbor how they need to protect their family. That is an individual personal responsibility each of us is guaranteed through the US and Idaho Constitutions." - "Idaho leaders say stay-at-home order violates constitutional rights as protests erupt nationwide," April 20, 2020.

  • Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler (Insider): "In the spirit of liberty and the Constitution, you can request those that are sick to stay home, but, at the same time, you must release the rest of us to go on with our normal business. I do not believe that suspending the Constitution was wise, because COVID-19 is nothing like the Plague. We were misled by some Public Health Officials, and now it is time to reinstate our Constitution." - "Idaho's stay-at-home order has sparked a rebellion, and outraged activists are urging people to 'disobey' coronavirus restrictions," April 16, 2020.

  • Wayne Hoffman, president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation (Insider): "You have to disobey. You have to do what's best for your business, you have to do what's best for your employees and your customers. You have to do what's best for your livelihoods and your families. There are more of us than there are of them." - "Idaho's stay-at-home order has sparked a rebellion, and outraged activists are urging people to 'disobey' coronavirus restrictions," April 16, 2020.

  • Adams County prosecuting attorney Christopher Boyd (Idaho Statesman): "While I genuinely believe your intent is to safeguard the lives of Idahoans, the order infringes upon sacred First Amendment rights, most particularly the right to peacefully assemble as well as the free exercise of religion. ... Is not freedom dearer than our very lives? This is not yet our dilemma, but should it become so, I pray you will stand for freedom." - "Adams County prosecutor latest to decry Idaho stay-home order as unconstitutional," April 9, 2020.

  • Idaho State Rep. Tim Remington (R), pastor of The Altar Church in Coeur d’Alene (AP News): "They have just showed everybody in this nation how because of a flu, OK, they can completely take away all of your First Amendment rights — the right to assemble and everything that belongs to that — they just annihilated." - "Idaho to hold May primary by mail only due to coronavirus," March 30, 2020.


Debate over medical treatment and testing for coronavirus in Idaho

See also: Debate over medical treatment during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on coronavirus medical treatment in Idaho.

  • Crush the Curve spokesman Dr. Tommy Ahlquist (KTVB): Crush the Curve spokesman Dr. Tommy Ahlquist said antibody tests are highly accurate.

    "I think that's helpful to know but that doesn't answer the fundamental question, and that question is, if you have a positive antibody test, first of all, what's the chance it's truly positive? And then the second question is if it really is positive, are you immune? And nobody knows the answer to that question. ... If you want to stop taking precautions, or if your employer is thinking that we can treat you differently because you have a positive antibody test, and not give you the same protection as somebody else, we do need to wait a long time to make sure that we’ve got good data before we put those people at risk." - "Idaho experts debate the value of coronavirus antibody testing," April 20, 2020.

  • Dr. David Pate, a member of Idaho's coronavirus working group (KTVB): Dr. David Pate, a member of Idaho's coronavirus working group, argued that the antibody tests could create a false sense of security regarding immunity to the virus.

    "So this is on a full machine where we're actually drawing people's blood, spinning it down, sending the plasma through the machine and it will tell you with 100% accuracy on sensitivity and 99.6% on specificity whether or not you have antibodies for COVID-19. So the people getting tested today, we will be able to tell them with those two numbers, 100% and 99.6%, do you have the antibody COVID-19. ... We’re not telling people that this is some stamp of approval, you can go back to your life the way it was. You still have to be careful. We're still going to have to walk through this together. This is going to be something that is going to evolve." - "Idaho experts debate the value of coronavirus antibody testing," April 20, 2020.


Debate over school closures in Idaho

See also: Debate over school closures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on school closures in Idaho.

  • Preston Superintendent Marc Gee (Idaho Statesman): On April 16, the state board of education approved a list of criteria districts would need to meet to reopen. Preston Superintendent Marc Gee was in favor of reopening in time to get three weeks of classes in before the May 21 start of summer break if at all possible. He also said that the residents in the area had mixed opinions. Sixty-nine districts and charter schools had decided to stay closed for the rest of the school year, and 89 hadn't announced official decisions as of April 23.

    "It’s pretty split within the community, from what I’ve heard." - "Administrators around Idaho are split on reopening school this spring amid coronavirus," April 23, 2020.

  • Dave Jeppesen, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (The Lewiston Tribune): "Closing K-12 actually does not help stop the spread of the coronavirus and in fact in some cases, it’s been seen to accelerate the spread of the coronavirus. ... Healthcare workers need to go to work, and if their kiddos are at home, it puts a lot of pressure on our healthcare system." - "Officials recommend keeping K-12 schools in Idaho open," March 14, 2020.


Debate over religious service restrictions in Idaho

See also: Debate over religious service restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on religious service restrictions in Idaho.

  • Adams County prosecuting attorney Christopher Boyd (Idaho Statesman): "While I genuinely believe your intent is to safeguard the lives of Idahoans, the order infringes upon sacred First Amendment rights, most particularly the right to peacefully assemble as well as the free exercise of religion. ... Is not freedom dearer than our very lives? This is not yet our dilemma, but should it become so, I pray you will stand for freedom." - "Adams County prosecutor latest to decry Idaho stay-home order as unconstitutional," April 9, 2020.

  • Idaho State Rep. Tim Remington (R), pastor of The Altar Church in Coeur d’Alene (AP News): "They have just showed everybody in this nation how because of a flu, OK, they can completely take away all of your First Amendment rights — the right to assemble and everything that belongs to that — they just annihilated." - "Idaho to hold May primary by mail only due to coronavirus," March 30, 2020.


Debate over election policy in Idaho

See also: Debate over election policies and procedures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on election policies in Idaho.


Responses to the coronavirus in Idaho

See also: Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Idaho)

Click the links below for more on responses to the coronavirus pandemic in STATE.

General resources

The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.


See also

Footnotes

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Political responses to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020-2021
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