As virus surges, California lawmakers gather to start work
SACRAMENTO >> California lawmakers gathered indoors on Monday to carry out what they call their “essential” constitutional duty on the same day the government ordered more than 33 million people to stay home because of a surge of new coronavirus cases.
The organizational session happened on the same day a new stay-at-home order took effect for Southern California, a large swath of the Central Valley agricultural region and five counties around the San Francisco Bay.
The new rules were triggered because of a dwindling capacity in the state’s intensive care units because California has averaged more than 17,000 new coronavirus cases daily over the past two weeks.
The Senate and Assembly met indoors at noon on Monday, both with the blessing of Sacramento County public health officials. The new stay-at-home order does not apply to Sacramento or its surrounding counties because its available intensive care unit capacity is still above 15%.
The Senate met at the state Capitol as usual, but with a beefed-up air filtration system and strict rules banning visitors. The Assembly gathered at a cavernous NBA arena to make sure its 80 members have enough room to stay away from each other.
“When our constituents are delaying wedding and graduations and other important life events, the California state Senate understands and will gladly take a pass on some of the pomp and circumstance that we would normally enjoy,” Sent. Toni Atkins said shortly after being reelected as the Senate president pro tempore.
Monday’s meetings are mostly for organizing purposes and swearing in lawmakers who were elected last month. But it’s also the first day for lawmakers to file legislation, offering a glimpse of what the Democratic-dominated legislature plans to tackle in the new year.
Atkins said the Senate will prioritize housing legislation, saying it’s been a crisis for years and has been made worse “in every part of our state by COIVD-19.”
The Assembly re-elected Anthony Rendon for another term as speaker over Republican leader Marie Waldron. Rendon said the Assembly must pass laws to provide more highspeed internet access to residents.