How COVID-19 will affect Kentucky’s 2021 legislative session. Will masks be mandated?
Kentucky lawmakers are being “strongly encouraged” to wear masks during the 2021 General Assembly that begins noon Tuesday as the novel coronavirus continues to infect Kentuckians by the thousands each day.
The guidelines for rank-and-file lawmakers provided by Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, and House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, falls short of being a requirement, but House Minority Leader Joni Jenkins, D-Shively, plans to present a resolution Tuesday that would require any person who enters common areas on the third or fourth floors of the Capitol and areas of the Capitol Annex controlled by the Legislative Research Commission to wear a mask during the 2021 session.
The House and Senate chambers are on the third floor of the Capitol. The Capitol’s fourth floor is for legislative staff. The Capitol Annex areas controlled by the LRC include committee meeting rooms and offices.
The mask policy emphasizes how the pandemic will affect the legislative session, which runs for 30 meeting days, ending March 30.
Some Republicans have downplayed the severity of the virus, citing Republican President Donald Trump’s remarks about COVID-19 since last winter. Trump said this weekend that the number of cases and deaths in the United States are “far exaggerated.” Health officials disputed that claim.
More of Kentucky’s Republican and Democratic legislative leaders showed Monday that they support the COVID-19 vaccine, getting their shots publicly in the Capitol Rotunda.
“I think it’s one step forward to opening back up Kentucky and I look forward to the day all Kentuckians have this opportunity,” said House Minority Leader Joni Jenkins, D-Shively.
Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said he took the vaccine because “I want to make sure the people I represent have their voice heard during every day of the 30-day session.”
Senate Minority Caucus Chair Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, said he particularly wanted to build confidence in the vaccine among Black Kentuckians.
“I understand how African American people have been frightened and are nervous about taking the vaccines because historically, the medical community has not been kind to us.” Thomas said. “But I want to encourage all people of color to take this vaccine, because we’ve been disproportionately impacted.”
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear also offered the shots to former governors and first ladies. Former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin was offered the opportunity to get the vaccine but turned it down, according to the governor’s office.
Curtailing Beshear’s power?
COVID-19 has sparked one of the biggest issues in the 2021 session that lawmakers are expected to address early.
Republican lawmakers have in their sight limiting Beshear’s emergency powers. They have criticized him for not seeking their input when coming up with dozens of executive orders to curb the virus.
Thayer, R-Georgetown, has claimed that Republicans made significant gains in last November’s elections becaue voters want to curtail Beshear’s powers. Republicans now outnumber Democrats in the House 75 to 25 and 30 to 8 in the Senate.
Beshear has said it would be better to address Republicans’ concerns with him when the pandemic has ended.
The Kentucky Democratic Party tried Monday to get in front of the controversy by releasing the results of a poll it funded that showed strong support for Beshear and his handling of the coronavirus problems, including the mask requirement.
It also showed low approval ratings for the Republican majority in the legislature.
The poll, conducted Dec. 14-17 by Garin-Hart-Yang research, showed a 59 percent overall approval for Beshear and 58 percent approval of his handling of the pandemic.
It also found that 77 percent of Kentuckians, including 66 percent of Republicans, support Beshear’s order to require people to wear masks in indoor settings.
The poll showed low approval ratings for the GOP majority in the state legislature at 37 percent. Only 8 percent of Democrats gave the Republicans a “positive” rating.
State Democratic Party Chairman Colmon Elridge said the poll numbers reflect that Kentuckians “overwhelmingly trust Gov. Besehar to make the right decisions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. The Republican majority in the state legislature, on the other hand, is losing ground with the public every day.”
Kentucky Republican Party spokesman Mike Lonergan said the poll “tells us that the Democrat Party is just as clueless and out of touch as the voters showed them to be in November.”
He said Kentucky voters “spoke loud and clear and rejected every candidate endorsed by Beshear and strengthened the GOP super majority with gains of 13 seats in the House and two more in the Senate.”
Remote voting and no guests
In addition to addressing the governor’s emergency powers, the Republicans will have their say in passing a $12 billion budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1.
Lawmakers usually pass a two-year state budget in even-numbered years but the uncertainty of the virus’ impact on the economy led them last year to adopt only a one-year budget. Beshear is to present his budget plan for the next year at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a virtual speech carried on the Kentucky Educational Television network.
When voting on the budget and other bills this year, the 100 House members will be able to vote remotely from their offices in the Annex or in person in the chamber. The Senate, with 38 members, will cast votes in person.
Noah Lucas, spokesman for the Senate Republicans, said the chamber will be cleaned and sanitized daily, and there will be hand sanitizer readily available.
The Capitol and Capitol Annex will remain closed to the general public. Exceptions will be made for people testifying before a committee or for those who have a scheduled appointment with a legislator.
Other COVID-19 guidelines
Stivers and Osborne have issued other guidelines for legislative business this year.
Committee meeting rooms have been assigned and people are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing during meetings. Committee chairs are to have a proposed agenda published 48 hours before their scheduled committee meeting and present a list of proposed in-person presenters 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting to the president’s and speaker’s offices.
Party caucuses are to be held in spaces that allow for social distancing by members and staff.
Galleries in both chambers will be closed to guests, A limited number of family members will be allowed in the galleries Tuesday to attend a member’s swearing-in.
Members will be able to meet with non-partisan staff in the member’s office if both wear a mask. If a member chooses not to wear a mask, he or she should hold the meeting via email, phone or video conference.
No guest singers or performers will be invited to either chamber during the session.
The House will not be inviting guest pastors to open each session day in prayer but the Senate will.
Print media with assigned desks will have a place to work on the chamber floor using desks spaced 6 feet apart. All other media will operate from the galleries.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 3:25 PM.
