Lawmakers cancel meetings per federal guidelines.

Legislative leaders on Monday canceled this week’s committee meetings after new federal guidelines recommended avoiding gatherings of greater than 10 people to slow the spread of covid-19.

The state Capitol will remain closed to the public, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, said future legislative meetings will be considered on a “week-to-week basis.”

The Arkansas Legislative Council and its subcommittees had been scheduled to meet throughout the week.

The Legislative Council oversees state government functions when the General Assembly is out of session; for example, approving rules and requests for emergency-fund transfers.

The council’s most essential work can go on under emergency rules, Hendren said. The council’s co-chairmen and the chairmen of subcommittees can approve urgent matters, and the executive subcommittee can approve emergency rules in writing without having to meet.

Leaders from the House and the Senate said in a joint statement that they’ll continue to evaluate how to approach the fiscal session, which is scheduled to begin April 8 to consider budget bills.

Hendren noted that the state budget will expire on June 30.

“So we’ll have to do something before then,” he said.

Fiscal sessions take place in even-numbered years ever since voters approved the concept in 2008, contained in Amendment 86 to the Arkansas Constitution.

Unlike regular sessions, fiscal sessions are strictly tailored to address only budget bills unless two-thirds of both chambers vote on a resolution to allow the consideration of a non-budget bill.

Fiscal sessions last only 30 days unless three-fourths of both chambers vote to extend the session by 15 days.

Fiscal sessions begin on the second Monday in February in normal years, but the Legislature passed a law last year to move up Arkansas’ primaries in presidential election years. In such years, the fiscal session begins on the second Wednesday in April.

No legislative meetings were scheduled for next week. Lawmakers typically avoid meeting during the last week of the month, in part, to provide for time in their home districts.