The Louisiana State Legislative Session has temporarily adjourn.
After meeting with medical professionals and other state officials, Senate President Page Cortez and Speaker of the House of Representatives Clay Schexnayder have decided to adjourn the regular session until March 31, 2020.
"The public health crisis at hand has placed the legislature in unchartered waters," said President Cortez. "With every decision we make, we are balancing the health and welfare of our citizens, staff, and legislators with our constitutional responsibilities. At this time, we believe it is in the best interest of our state to temporarily adjourn the session."
Law makers have been directed by leadership to contact those stakeholders and citizens who have requested bills to update them on the status of the session. All are encourage to work together via telephone and e-mail to finalize potential issues with legislation so that those issues can be addres when the legislature convenes again.
"While the matters being considered at the legislative session are important, nothing is more important than the safety and welfare of each and every Louisiana citizen," added Speaker Schexnayder. "The President and I have been in constant communication about what is best for the state and at this point, the best course of action is to adjourn temporarily and come back ready to work when the risk has diminished."
The President and the Speaker continue to encourage everyone to take the proactive steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect the health of themselves and those around them and remind constituents that social distancing and immediate testing for symptomatic individuals are the best tools to slow down the spread of the virus.
Legislative leadership will continue to diligently monitor the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on the state. The President and the Speaker will be in constant communication regarding future decisions concerning the legislative session.
Several legislative meetings set for this week have also been canceled. Those meetings include:
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development - CANCELLED Tuesday, March 17, 2020 10:00 am
- Senate Committee on Environmental Quality - CANCELLED - Tuesday, March 17, 2020 2:00 pm
- Senate Select Committee on Homeland Security - CANCELLED - Tuesday, March 17, 2020 12:00 pm
- Legislative Audit Advisory Council - CANCELLED - Wednesday, March 18, 2020 9:00 am
All senate standing committees scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18, have also been canceled.
