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Committees will be virtual for 2022 legislative session due to recent Covid surge

(Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)

All committee meetings will be held virtually for the 2022 Legislative session, Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek announced Monday, but the Oregon Capitol will remain open to the public.

The move came after infectious disease doctors at Oregon Health & Sciences University and public health experts provided input, and as Covid cases are surging in Oregon, according to a press release.

The upcoming legislative session is slated to begin Feb. 1. The 2021 session was held mostly virtually, and the public was barred from the state capitol building and only able to attend virtually.

“We are committed to ensuring the legislative process is accessible and safe during the upcoming session,” a joint statement from Courtney and Kotek said. “The recent wave of cases and hospitalizations due to the Omicron variant is concerning. After conversations with OHSU infectious disease doctors, we decided to move our committees to a virtual format.” 

For the 2022 session, the public will be able to enter the capitol building during normal business hours. All employees who can work remotely must do so during the session to reduce the risk of spreading Covid in the building, the press release said.

Committee meetings will be live-streamed on the Oregon Legislature’s website. People can submit written testimony or sign up for video or phone testimony.

Masks are required in the Capitol building, and people should stay at home when sick, maintain 6 feet of distance and avoid large gatherings, the press release said.

Due to construction at the capitol, including at the front steps and State Street entrances, visitors should use the North ADA entrances to go into the building.

-Ardeshir Tabrizian