Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoed House Bill 135 and Senate Bill 1136, legislation curbing his power in emergency situations, with support from two former governors.
The bills from the Idaho Legislature sought to limit the power of the governor in emergency situations and provide the state’s legislature with more influence over disaster response.
While the governor would retain the ability to declare a disaster, the bills would limit disaster declarations to 60 days unless more time was needed to secure further funding. For all other scenarios, disaster declarations would require approval from the state legislature prior to extension.
Little referenced the state’s constitution for his decision to veto both bills.
“The Idaho Constitution wisely prohibits the legislature from performing executive duties,” Little said. “Declaring and responding to emergencies are core executive functions defined by the Idaho State Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, and rightly so.”
Former Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, who attended the press conference in person, offered his support.
“The Idaho Constitution grants the authority to the governor to swiftly respond during a crisis to protect lives, jobs and the economy,” Otter said. “That’s the proper role of the executive, and that’s why the separation of duties is so clearly established in our state’s founding documents.”
Little emphasized the bills would bring additional layers of bureaucracy which could jeopardize the effectiveness of disaster response.
“The bills severely interrupt and slow down the emergency response because it becomes the subject of 105 different opinions, adding more red tape and government bureaucracy, and potentially impacting lives and livelihoods,” Little said.
Former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, who attended the press conference virtually, also highlighted impedances the bills would create in a disaster response scenario, citing his experience as governor during fire season.
“It was not unusual to have incident commanders say ‘governor, we need a decision,’ and they need a decision immediately,” Kempthorne said. “That is not the time a governor should say, ‘I’ll get back to you, I must check with the legislature.’”
Gov. Little concluded the press conference with brief a message urging unity.
“The people of Idaho deserve our best,” Little said. “Our common goal is to create the best possible opportunities for us, our children and our grandchildren.””
Royce McCandless can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @roycemccandless