Due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota House plans to continue remote and hybrid operations for the duration of the 2022 legislative session. Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) shared the news with House legislators and staff in an email Thursday, which was reported by Session Daily and other news sources. Hortman said the policy may change as health and safety conditions evolve, but legislators and staff would receive a 30-day notice before any major changes.
House committees will continue to meet remotely, as they did during the 2021 session, but some hybrid in-person/remote hearings may be held if necessary. According to Session Daily, floor sessions will be hybrid, with legislators encouraged to attend in person.
In addition, the State Office Building will remain closed to the public, as it has since March 2020.
With more than 74% of Minnesotans over the age of 16 having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and many businesses and offices having re-opened in recent months, we were hopeful the 2022 legislative session would mark a return to in-person operations. While there are some benefits to remote operations, such as the ability for Greater Minnesotans to testify at a hearing without having to travel to St. Paul, there are also significant drawbacks.
For example, it restricts the public from being able to fully participate in the legislative process. Remote operations make it more difficult to meet with legislators, especially those who may be reluctant to talk about certain issues. It also hampers the ability to share information between legislators, lobbyists, reporters, and staff members at the Capitol. And of course, it reduces the number of opportunities for legislators to build relationships and camaraderie amongst each other.
The Senate has yet to formally announce whether it be operating in person, remotely or in some sort of hybrid fashion. The legislative session begins Jan. 31, 2022.
