Attendance to be limited at legislature’s special session due to COVID-19

CARSON CITY — The upcoming but still unscheduled special session of the Legislature to address the budgetary fallout of the COVID-19 crisis will be closed to all but lawmakers, essential staffers and a limited number of reporters, the head of the nonpartisan agency that serves lawmakers said Friday.

Legislative Counsel Bureau Director Brenda Erdoes said attendance was being limited in the interest of public health because of the infection threat.

“We remain committed to a process that allows all members of the public to participate throughout the session,” Erdoes said in a statement.

Eardoes added that the bureau was working with the Nevada Press Association and the Nevada Broadcasters Association to arrange limited reporter access.

Floor sessions and committee meetings will be available to the public via live broadcasts on the Legislature’s website as usual, with testimony of presenters and other witnesses facilitated via video hook-ups.

The public will be allowed to participate via teleconferencing, and written comments sent in will be added to meeting records, Erdoes said.

Lawmakers, lobbyists and members of the press and public can also view bills, supporting documents and meeting schedules on NELIS, which stands for Nevada Electronic Legislative Information System.

The session is expected to be called in early July. Nevada faces an $812 million state budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Estimates now see a $1.3 billion shortfall in the coming fiscal year.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.