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COVID cases force shutdown of Missouri House • Missouri Independent

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19:04News StoryThe Missouri House chambers during the 2019 State of the State address (photo courtesy of the Missouri Governors Office).Xby Rudi Keller, January 14, 2021by Rudi Keller, January 14, 2021The Missouri House of Representatives will not meet next week because of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Capitol Building, Republican leaders announced Thursday evening.Without giving details, House Speaker Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, and Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-St. Louis, issued a statement about the decision.The Senate Republican caucus, which has 24 of the Senate’s 34 members, met Friday morning on a conference call and decided to hold session next week, Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, .&nbsp;The week was already scheduled for limited floor sessions. Lawmakers generally meet Monday through Thursday each week, but both chambers were returning Tuesday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.The House schedule also had only what is known as a technical session set for Wednesday, when President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated and federal officials have warned of possible unrest in Washington and state capitals.“Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the building, we are exercising an abundance of caution to protect members, staff, and visitors by canceling session next week,” they said. “Our goal is to return to work the following week.”The House is still organizing itself in the new General Assembly. Vescovo appointed committee chairs on Tuesday but rank-and-file members have not yet received their assignments.&nbsp;The Senate is further along with its organization and several bills are scheduled for hearings, including COVID liability protection for businesses and expansion of virtual learning.During a House floor session Wednesday, large numbers of members, mainly on the Republican side, could be seen without masks. And while signs outside elevators state that the maximum occupancy is three to allow social distancing, members returning to the floor from a caucus crowded in.During debate on the House rules on Tuesday, the chamber voted 46-105 against requiring members to follow Centers for Disease Control guidance for controlling the coronavirus, including wearing masks.&nbsp;During that session, 11 members were absent for roll call votes, including several who have tested positive or are in quarantine due to exposure. There are two Democratic members of the Missouri Senate who are in quarantine for exposure to the virus.In a tweet Wednesday morning, state Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit, said that she is one of those in quarantine.“I am in isolation due to exposure to COVID-19,” she wrote. “I will not be in #moleg until I test negative and complete the appropriate quarantine time period.”When the pandemic first hit the state last March, the General Assembly shut down for several weeks, returning in time to pass a budget and a few must-pass bills. During the summer and fall, Gov. Mike Parson called lawmakers to work in two special sessions, the first to work on anti-crime legislation and the second to appropriate unspent federal disaster aid.The spike in COVID-19 cases that occurred in late October and November forced the Senate to , which also to add liability protection to the special session agenda.is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: . Follow Missouri Independent on and .Copy to clipboard1RepublishOur stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.

19:04News StoryThe Missouri House chambers during the 2019 State of the State address (photo courtesy of the Missouri Governors Office).Xby Rudi Keller, January 14, 2021by Rudi Keller, January 14, 2021The Missouri House of Representatives will not meet next week because of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Capitol Building, Republican leaders announced Thursday evening.Without giving details, House Speaker Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, and Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-St. Louis, issued a statement about the decision.The Senate Republican caucus,...

COVID cases force shutdown of Missouri House • Missouri Independent

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