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Lawmakers are returning to the Missouri state Capitol today to address immediate budget business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and while members of the public will be able to watch the proceedings in-person, they are being asked to use remote-viewing options.
The Capitol and all state office buildings have been closed to the public since March 24. However, the Missouri Constitution requires legislative proceedings be public meetings, and Gov. Mike Parson exempted proceedings of the General Assembly at the Capitol from his statewide stay-at-home order that took effect Monday.
Even so, as lawmakers return to finish a supplemental budget for the current fiscal year, "with a statewide stay-at-home order in effect and dire warnings from the U.S. surgeon general, the public is asked to stay home and utilize the digital tools available online to monitor legislative proceedings," according to a news release Monday from the Senate's Republican majority caucus.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told "Fox News Sunday" that Americans should steel themselves for a surge of COVID-19 deaths: "This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment," the Associated Press reported.
In steering people toward remote-viewing options, "the goal is to protect the public, staff and members of the General Assembly present in the Capitol building," Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said in Monday's news release.
The following is a timeline of what to expect this week at the Capitol and how to tune in from home.
The Senate will convene at 11 a.m. today. Audio streaming of Senate floor action is available on the Senate's website, senate.mo.gov.
"If you visit the website, the audio streaming links are under the floor action box on the right side of the webpage," Senate Communications Director Jonathan Lorenz said.
Because of the pandemic, the Senate has not met for any business since the second week of March.
The Senate is expected today to refer two House bills - HB 2456 and House Committee Substitute for HB 2014 - to its appropriations committee for a hearing scheduled for what at that point would be less than an hour later.
HB 2456 would extend by a year reimbursement allowance taxes for certain medical facilities: ground ambulance, nursing, Medicaid-managed care, hospital, pharmacy and intermediate care for the intellectually disabled.
HCS HB 2014 is the supplemental budget for the 2020 fiscal year, which ends with the last day of June. This appropriations bill would allow Missouri to accept and spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid because of the pandemic.
The Senate's Appropriations committee is scheduled to meet on the two House bills at noon today in Room 117.
The hearing will be video-streamed at sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00325/harmony/en/powerbrowser/RoomRouter?location=JCR&viewMode=3.
Written testimony may be submitted via email to [email protected], but submissions must be received by 10 a.m. today.
The Senate will convene again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, with the expectation of passing both House bills by noon back to the House for a final vote there in the afternoon, said Seth Bundy, the Senate's Democratic minority caucus communications director.
With House members being called individually from their offices to come down to the chamber to vote, that process could take some time.
House floor activity is live-streamed, and that can be found at house.mo.gov/MediaCenter.aspx?selected=VideoFeedsLive.
Details on other Senate activity this week, and how to watch, is available at senate.mo.gov/hearingsschedule/hrings.htm.
Anyone who does try to enter the Capitol in person should be prepared for several measures intended to prevent spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
The public will only be able to enter through the South Carriage Entrance, and anyone seeking to enter the building will have their temperature taken and be subjected to a series of screening questions related to health, travel and exposure to COVID-19.
Once inside, the public will only have access to the room where a hearing is being conducted and visitor galleries for legislative floor action. Social distancing requirements will mean limited seating, and the public will not have access to legislators' offices or surrounding hallways.
In the House, only the rear (east) visitor gallery will be open. It's the Senate's upper galleries that will be open.