Georgia General Assembly returns with new COVID precautions

ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers returned to the state Capitol Monday with new precautions in place as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to infect people by the thousands.

While masks are encouraged inside the building, they are required inside the House of Representatives.

"I have an obligation to take care of the health of the member of the House, the staff and yes, even the news media that are lurking around here and I take that very seriously," House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said last week.

Members of the House are spread out throughout the chamber, with some seated in the gallery and others in an overflow room of the Capitol.  

That seating arrangement was devised back in June when lawmakers returned to the Capitol to pass a budget after suspending the session in the spring because of the virus.  Scattering House members throughout the building meant they had to use roll call votes, which took much longer because legislators could not simply press a button on their desk.

"We have a computer system now.  It's a tablet, kind of iPad system that will be stationed at the seats in [the overflow room] and in the gallery for those members to vote real time.  So, we won't have the verbal roll call like we did for the last two weeks of last session," Speaker Ralston explained.  

In the state Senate, senators approved the suspension of their voting rules Monday to allow them more than the standard 60 seconds to cast their votes.  

"In lieu of that rule, the voting machine will be left open for a period of time sufficient to allow the senators to make their way to the Senate floor and cast their votes on the electronic voting machine while maintaining social distancing," explained Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan, R-Carrollton.  

Lawmakers in both chambers will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing twice a week--typically on Mondays and Thursdays.  The saliva-based testing is administered by Georgia Tech.  

House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, said the precaution that are in place for the session are the result of ongoing conversations between leadership and lawmakers.  

"We wanted to make sure we addressed--it wasn't just us, but all of our members' concerns as well," said Beverly.  

Both Minority Leader Beverly and Speaker Ralston said they will continue to monitor the infection rates in the community and will pivot when necessary.  

"Part of it is trying to respect math and science and still get the business of Georgians done," Beverly explained.  "As we look at the numbers spiking, we're going to continue to adapt."  

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