Minnesota's politically divided Legislature is taking a divided logistical approach to public access in the upcoming session as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage.
Minnesota Legislature prepares for third COVID-restricted session
The state Senate, House are taking different approaches to public access.
January 1, 2022 at 8:30PM
Secretary of the Senate Cal Ludeman notified senators and staff Monday that the state Senate building will be unlocked Jan. 4. The lobby and first floor hearing rooms will be open to the public following a prolonged pandemic closure. Access to the second and third floors will be restricted.
"We will continue to monitor all developments," Ludeman wrote. He said the guidelines are "designed to enable senators and staff to practice their own level of safety, yet maintain the Senate as a fully functional legislative body, including in-person public participation."
In the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, committee hearings will be hybrid meetings, with a mix of in-person and Zoom attendance, Ludeman said. He encouraged people to use thermometers to check for fever before entering the Capitol or Senate building.
Committee meetings in the DFL-controlled House will be held remotely, with limited exceptions for hybrid meetings in one room at the Capitol, House Speaker Melissa Hortman wrote to staff in October. The State Office Building where House staff and representatives work remains closed to the public, she said. A DFL spokesman said Thursday that they haven't changed the approach she outlined.
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