A quick item from the crowded Republican lieutenant governor’s race: Idaho Falls Republican Janice McGeachin is criticizing three of her rivals over a vote on college scholarships.

Sens. Marv Hagedorn of Meridian and Bob Nonini of Coeur d’Alene and Rep. Kelley Packer of McCammon all voted to create an “adult completer” scholarship designed to help older students return to college.

McGeachin, a former legislator, accused “establishment Republicans” of siding with “liberal Democrats” to create the new scholarship.

“Idahoans deserve elected officials who support a primary education system built for our needs and not one designed purely to funnel students into higher education,” McGeachin said this week. “Idahoans deserve a lieutenant governor who hasn’t voted to siphon money away from young people in order to subsidize adults who have already tried higher education and found it wasn’t for them.”

Gov. Butch Otter has pushed for the adult completer scholarship for three years, calling it a key to boosting the state’s stagnant postsecondary completion rates. He signed Senate Bill 1279 Friday.

McGeachin, of Idaho Falls, is one of six Republicans seeking to replace current Lt. Gov. Brad Little. In addition to Hagedorn, Nonini and Packer, Rebecca Arnold of Boise and Steve Yates of Idaho Falls are running for the part-time post.