Lawmakers will participate in committee meetings virtually at start of session

Lawmakers won’t be gathering in person during committee meetings and will instead participate virtually at the start of the legislative session next week.

Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D-Las Vegas) gave additional details to The Nevada Independent on Friday about accommodations meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Typically, groups of lawmakers would convene together for hours in close proximity as they consider bills in committee rooms.

“Because not everyone, including staff, have been vaccinated, and not everyone is compliant [regarding] masks, we are not yet confident in the environment being safe so we are starting committees virtual,” he said. “No one will be allowed in committee rooms and we will assess changes as we assess conditions.”

Legislative staff announced the broad strokes for session logistics last week, indicating that the session will begin closed to the public, with participation carried out through video conferencing and a limited media presence. Lawmakers and staff are prioritized for vaccination, and leadership hope to open up the session more broadly once more people are vaccinated, although leaders declined to give a clear picture last week about how many members had been vaccinated.

Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/lawmakers-will-participate-in-committee-meetings-virtually-at-start-of-session