Lawmakers discuss how to proceed with session amid concerns over coronavirus
Lawmakers met Monday to discuss how to proceed with the legislative session amid concerns over coronavirus, which has already infected four Kentuckians and health experts say will continue to spread.
“The legislature has unique challenges in that we bring people from every corner of Kentucky and people from every age group, from senior citizens to elementary school students, into the same building,” said Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville.
Lawmakers typically don’t come to Frankfort until the afternoon on Mondays, as they travel to the Capitol from their respective districts. But in several meetings throughout the day, they discussed how to keep the session going in a safe and responsible way.
“At this point there is no reason to panic,” McGarvey said.
Gov. Andy Beshear briefed lawmakers on the coronavirus in a meeting closed to the press Monday afternoon and House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, said the meeting gave members the opportunity to bring up any concerns they’re hearing about in their district.
“Legislators typically are a little bit closer to their constituents than state government is as a whole,” Osborne said. “So I think he’s wanting to get some feedback from them and also give them some assurances about the things he’s doing and the administration is doing to make sure this thing is handled appropriately.”
Beshear told reporters early Monday that three of the four cases of coronavirus in Kentucky were spread person-to-person in the community and reminded people to practice good hygiene like washing their hands, coughing or sneezing into their elbow and staying home if they’re sick.
The legislature is in the midst of a 60 day legislative session in which they must write the budget for the next two years. While they are required by the constitution to adjourn on April 15, that does not mean that they must meet for all 60 days of the session.
Osborne said he met with Beshear Monday morning to talk about how best to deal with the coronavirus from an administrative standpoint over things like cleaning protocol and lowering risk of transmitting the disease.
“It’s difficult to gear up quickly in a building this big with as many different agencies and entities functioning within it,” Osborne said.
Lawmakers did not specify what precautions, if any, they will be taking in the Capitol to combat the virus.
Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, released a statement early Monday telling people to keep up with Beshear’s updates to stay informed.
“With multiple confirmed in-state cases of individuals testing positive for COVID-19, known as the coronavirus, it is crucial for Kentuckians to be more attentive to healthy practices than usual,” Stivers said. “I want to applaud Governor Beshear, Secretary (Eric) Friedlander, and Commissioner (Steven) Stack for their consistent updates on the state of public health here in the Commonwealth, and their efforts to ensure our public health groups are prepared for this situation.”
McGarvey filed two bills last week that would apply to the coronavirus. One would require that employers give their employees sick leave, while the other would require the Cabinet of Health and Family Services to assess how much money it will need to address the coronavirus and report back to the legislature so it can be included in the budget.
Osborne said because Beshear declared a state of emergency, he would have the ability to tap into the rainy day fund and therefore would not need money in the budget to deal with coronavirus.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 12:39 PM.
