Legislature to re-convene with face masks and temperature checks

LINCOLN - Most state senators say they plan to wear a face mask and stay six feet from others when the legislative session resumes later this month, according to interviews with 25 of the state’s 49 senators.

Speaker Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk has outlined safety protocols for the summer session. According to a memo Scheer sent June 23, the Legislature will have a plexiglass barrier in front of senators’ desks, temperature checks for everyone who enters the chamber and hand sanitizer available. Scheer is encouraging senators to wear face masks in the chamber but has not required it.

He hopes that the safety guidelines will help senators maintain six feet of space between each other. The Nebraska Legislature’s 2020 session was suspended March 16 because of COVID-19. It will resume on July 20.

The Legislature is waiting to hear from the Executive Board about guidelines for legislative staff.

Of the 25 senators who spoke to Nebraska News Service for this story over the last few weeks, three said they did not plan on wearing a mask in the chamber. Several others said they weren’t sure if they’d wear a mask or would only wear one sometimes.

Senators had varying legislative priorities including property tax relief, business incentives, rural broadband and the budget.

The state’s latest COVID-19 health directives allow for indoor gatherings that are 50 percent of rated occupancy. The chamber’s occupancy is between 275 and 300 people, according to the clerk’s office. When session reconvenes, 75 people will be allowed in the chamber.

District 36 Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg plans on wearing a face mask. He has visited the Legislature and gotten a glimpse of how the chamber is set up. His priority is finalizing the budget.

“Normally, every committee has a handful of bills that are things that really need to get passed. They’re noncontroversial. So, I’m very hopeful we can get all those things cleaned up,” Williams said.