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PHOTOS: With increased security and doors closed to the public, Oregon Legislature resumes its work

Seats in the Oregon House chamber visitor gallery are marked to enforce social distancing. Only chairs marked in green are available. Since the Capitol building is closed to the public, no one was seated in the visitor’s gallery on Jan. 21. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek visits with colleagues Jan. 21 during a brief floor session. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

A crowd control helmet rests on a glass display case inside the Oregon Capitol building as lawmakers resumed meetings for the 2021 legislative session. The Legislature had delayed meetings because of concerns about the continuation of possible unrest Salem has seen over the last month. The helmet was part of the gear brought in by Oregon Air National Guard who were in the building to assist Oregon State Police in the event of violent demonstrations. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

Backpacks and crowd control equipment brought into the Oregon State Capitol by the Oregon Air National Guard rest against a wall near the rotunda on Jan. 21 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

A committee hearing room at the Oregon State Capitol is filled with chairs, desks and shelves instead of people. Covid restrictions have forced all committee meetings to be held remotely and the proceedings are instead broadcast on large video screens in the building. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

Passage through the Capitol rotunda is restricted to one-way to maintain social distancing requirements during the 2021 session of the Oregon State Legislature. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

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Photographer Ron Cooper and his wife Penny moved to Salem in 1969 to take a job as photographer at the Oregon Statesman (later the Statesman Journal). Their three children, Monica, Kimberly, and Christopher, attended and graduated from Salem public schools. Cooper retired from the Statesman Journal in 2001 but, has continued his passion for photography in many ways, including as a photographer for the Salem Reporter.