The California Senate canceled its floor session on Wednesday after an unnamed person in the upper house tested positive for COVID-19, complicating a hectic final week of legislative business at the state Capitol.
A morning memo asked all senators and staff to “hold in place for the next hour or so” in their offices and advised anyone who had not yet entered the Capitol building to remain at home. The Senate abruptly halted the start of its floor session and hours later Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) canceled the day’s work altogether.
“This morning, the Secretary of the Senate was informed that a member of the Senate family has tested positive for COVID-19,” Atkins said in a statement. “The Senate will be prepared to continue our work when we have completed public health protocols to ensure that the risk of exposure has been eliminated. The Senate will use the tools available to us to make sure that we can complete necessary work prior to August 31.”
Atkins said the person had been in the Capitol this week and the Senate is conducting “immediate contact tracing” and plans to inform anyone who may have been exposed.
Now Atkins must decide whether the house should move to remote voting, or a hybrid model of in-person and virtual participation, with just a few days left in the legislative year. The positive case was confirmed after some senators were tested for the virus in recent days and after legislators met for a floor session on Monday. Senate Republicans also met in person for a caucus on Tuesday.
Katie Talbot, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), said the Assembly would proceed with hearings and floor sessions as planned.
Wednesday’s news comes as lawmakers are divided over the extent to which the Legislature can act on bills with its members casting votes from remote locations. The Assembly has instituted a process for members at high risk of contracting the virus to submit proxy votes to the house’s leaders. The Senate allowed remote voting by its members for bills when they were in committee. The upper house said last month it would not allow remote voting during floor sessions.
The pandemic has disrupted the Capitol since the Senate and Assembly halted sessions in March to lessen the risk of the virus spreading.
Both houses delayed a return from summer recess last month after two Assembly members and four staffers tested positive for COVID-19. That spread inside the Capitol was believed to be linked to legislators and staffers meeting in order to pass the state budget at the end of June.
Before the most recent case, a spokeswoman for the Senate said in July that one Senate staffer had tested positive in June while two employees who worked in district offices also had confirmed cases of COVID-19.
“We have, as senators, done a pretty good job of avoiding COVID-19 for five months,” said state Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa). “We’re all doing our best and we’re all trusting that everyone else is doing the same.”
After learning about the new case in the Senate, Moorlach said he requested to be tested and is awaiting instructions. He said the Senate will have to make decisions soon about the end of the session.
“I’m just trying to stay calm,” Moorlach said. “I would like to conclude session and if those that tested positive have to do it remotely, then so be it.”
Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers contributed to this report.
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August 27, 2020 at 12:55AM
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California Senate halts work after new COVID-19 case - Los Angeles Times
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