Florida’s Legislative Session To Open Without COVID-19 Restrictions

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) — Legislative leaders are monitoring the spike successful coronavirus cases crossed Florida but haven’t made plans to reimpose restrictions connected nationalist entree that were utilized during the 2021 session.

With the 2022 legislative league starting Jan. 11, radical volition beryllium allowed to roam astir of the Capitol analyzable and code lawmakers successful person.

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“In airy of the pandemic, the Florida House past league made important improvements to facilities, including adding hospital-grade HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters for amended aerial quality, ample manus sanitizing stations and more,” House spokeswoman Jenna Sarkissian said successful an email. “These improvements stay successful spot arsenic the 2022 legislative league approaches and members hole to bash the people’s business.”

During the 2021 session, the Senate sharply restricted nationalist entree to effort to forestall dispersed of COVID-19. For example, radical who wanted to talk earlier Senate committees had to spell to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, a fewer blocks westbound of the Capitol astatine Florida State University, and look done a unrecorded watercourse feed.

In the House, lobbyists and different visitors were required to registry online astatine slightest 3 hours earlier committee meetings, amusement recognition and prime up passes to summation entree to gathering rooms.

Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Senate President Wilton Simpson, said successful an email Monday that Simpson “continues to show the presumption of the pandemic,” but the Senate has not enactment successful spot plans to resume the 2021 restrictions.

On Dec. 20, Simpson, R-Trilby, advised members that the Senate volition beryllium unfastened to visitors passim the upcoming 60-day session. A memo from Simpson besides said senators could petition societal distancing and masking wrong their idiosyncratic offices.

“We should each beryllium respectful and grant specified requests,” added Simpson, who successful October issued a rebuke to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo for declining to deterioration a disguise portion successful the bureau of Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton.

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Polsky was being treated for bosom cancer. Ladapo defended his enactment by saying helium cannot pass intelligibly “when fractional of my look is covered.”

Beside the enactment of senators requiring masks and societal distancing successful their offices, Simpson said the Senate volition proceed to behaviour predominant cleanings of communal areas and restrooms and supply wipes, sanitizer and different products for usage successful betwixt regular cleanings of bureau spaces. Also, manus sanitizing stations stay successful spot successful communal areas and HEPA filters volition beryllium utilized successful committee rooms, the Senate enclosure and the property gallery.

“We present person a amended knowing of however our ain idiosyncratic wellness impacts others successful the workplace,” Simpson wrote. “Everyone is encouraged to show their wellness regular and to enactment astatine location erstwhile sick.”

The Senate volition marque investigating disposable to elected officials and their staff, Simpson’s memo said.

The Senate and House volition clasp a associated league Jan. 11 successful the House enclosure to perceive Gov. Ron DeSantis’ State of the State address, the accepted kickoff for the session. Simpson volition big a luncheon for senators and their families successful the Old Capitol’s Senate enclosure aft the associated session.

The league volition unfastened against the backdrop of a spike successful COVID-19 cases, arsenic the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus has dispersed crossed the state. It besides volition travel 2 months aft lawmakers held a peculiar league that included taking steps to forestall vaccination and disguise mandates — a cardinal contented for DeSantis.

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(©2022 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten, oregon redistributed. The News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner contributed to this report.)