When lawmakers return to the State Capitol Monday, the public is invited with some conditions.
The Capitol has been closed to the public since mid-March, and now guests will undergo screening for COVID-19 symptoms upon entering the building and are encouraged to wear a mask.
Health officials will be present to implement social distancing, with folks in the gallery asked to sit six feet apart. Lobbies outside the House and Senate will be closed.
“Capitol access is being phased in cautiously just like Oklahoma’s reopening is being phased in cautiously,” said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka. “If you truly need to be at the Capitol, you can be there under health precautions, and if you do not need to be there, be safe and watch online.”
Lawmakers - who will also be taking precautions - must finish the session by May 29, which includes crafting a budget for the coming fiscal year starting July 1.