Idaho salons, bars that violate reopening plan put licenses at risk, Gov. Little says
Idaho on Wednesday was five days into the state’s phased reopening. More retail businesses were opening up, and houses of worship had been allowed to open.
But some business owners were choosing to violate the state’s plan by reopening early. Speaking Wednesday on Boise State Public Radio’s “Idaho Matters” program, Gov. Brad Little said the violations are “incredibly disrespectful” to the majority of businesses that are following the rules.
Little said the state will consider revoking professional or other Idaho-issued licenses should a business not follow his phased-in reopening plan.
“If it’s a cosmetologist or somebody that has a liquor license, they are putting their license at risk,” he said.
Under the governor’s plan, most businesses were allowed to reopen last Friday. Barbershops and hair salons won’t be able to open until at least May 16.
Like Little’s previous stay-at-home order, his phased-in plan is enforceable as a misdemeanor, though it seems only one citation to a woman running a yard sale has been issued so far.
But not everyone in executive leadership at the state is on the same page as the governor. Last week, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin traveled to the small town of Kendrick, nearly 300 miles north of Boise, to celebrate the reopening of Hardware Brewing, a brewpub. Bars are not allowed to open until at least mid-June under the governor’s plan.
In a post on Facebook, McGeachin said an Idaho State Police detective gave the business a warning – something she said shouldn’t have happened.
“Idaho Matters” host Gemma Gaudette asked Little how he can effectively carry out his reopening plan when his second-in-command rejects it.
“Well, it doesn’t make it easier. I can tell you that,” he said.
The office of the lieutenant governor is a separate elected position in Idaho and isn’t always occupied by an ally of the governor. Both Little and McGeachin are Republicans.
Little said he hasn’t spoken to McGeachin in weeks.
“We traditionally had a scheduled, weekly call,” the governor said. “But for some reason her schedule hasn’t been favorable to us to having the call in the last two weeks.”
McGeachin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read the original version of this story, complete with a transcript and audio, at boisestatepublicradio.org.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 7:22 PM.