Labrador Wins Seat On Central District Health

In the end, today's vote was a repeat of the vote last week.  By a vote of 2-1, the Ada County Commissioners appointed Congressman Raul Labrador to the board of Central District Health.   Despite the move by lone Democrat Kendra Kenyon, Republican Commissioners Beck and Davidson voted for Labrador.   Kenyon had recruited Doctor Sky Blue, the state's leading expert on infectious diseases, to throw his name in for the appointment.  Last week, Davidson and Beck, voted to appoint Congressman Labrador.

That move was met by allegations of possible violations of Idaho's Open Meeting Law.  (Although, a person close to the state government has told this reporter that the governor's emergency declaration has canceled that law.)

The matter is under investigation by the Canyon County Prosecutor's Office.  Ada County Commissioner Rod Beck described the need for an additional vote to the Idaho Press. “We didn’t do anything beyond the law for this appointment,” Beck said, denying a legal violation. “We could have just done nothing and proceeded, but we decided out of an abundance of caution … we would allow commissioner Kenyon to produce an alternative, and apparently she did,” Beck said.

The appointment of Congressman Labrador provides a shift of more oversight and accountability to Central District.  Idahoans across the state have complained that the state's health districts have too much power.   The legislature has introduced legislation that would limit the power of the districts to implement restrictions without oversight from elected officials.

Both commissioners promised to hold the districts accountable during their campaigns.  Their election has flipped the ideological majority from Democrat.