Politics

Legislature to convene Monday, reopen building at 50% capacity

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 14, 2020

North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore announced Thursday that the Legislature will reconvene in Raleigh on Monday and that the Legislative Building will reopen to the public at a maximum of 50 percent of fire code occupancy.

Each chamber of the General Assembly will maintain separate procedural rules regarding legislative sessions, committee meetings and voting practices.

Members, staff, reporters, and visitors should expect to receive temperature checks upon entering the building. This policy will be reevaluated on a weekly basis.

Social distancing practices will be maintained. Committees will meet in the largest rooms available.

All members of the public and employees are encouraged to continue to use remote appointments for meetings where feasible.

The legislature is the people’s branch, and public access to the people’s building should not be closed but for time-limited and extraordinary circumstances, Berger and Moore said in a news release.