Lawmakers Wear Masks as Coronavirus Upends Virginia Session
The coronavirus upended a Virginia legislative session Wednesday as lawmakers in surgical masks met in unprecedented circumstances and voted to delay some long-sought Democratic priorities amid uncertainty about the pandemic's impact on the economy.
The one-day session was unlike any in Virginia's more than 400-year history. House Delegates spread out at individual tables under tents on the Capitol lawn while the Senate convened at a giant event space at the Science Museum of Virginia a few miles away. Lawmakers ditched their germ-carrying ties and wore masks and bandannas.
Proceedings in the House quickly stalled when members encountered technical issues with their voting machines that lasted about 40 minutes. Horns blared from the cars of protesters who gathered nearby, unhappy with mandated business closings.
About three hours into the House session, Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn appeared to collapse and was attended to by medics and a fellow delegate who is a nurse practitioner. An aide said she hadn't eaten lunch, became dizzy and was uninjured in the fall. She resumed her role presiding over the chamber about an hour later.
Read more: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/lawmakers-wear-masks-as-coronavirus-upends-virginia-session/2281340/