Last week, lawmakers hugged it out. Thursday, coronavirus clouds usual closing pomp.
Exactly one week ago, the Florida Capitol was abuzz.
Lawmakers’ families and friends packed the public galleries to listen to long farewell speeches.
Members shared hugs and handshakes, posed for photos and exchanged gifts. While Twitter feeds lit up with news of canceled sports tournaments, postponed seasons, and an idling cruise industry, some lawmakers shook off news in the outside world and continued on.
“If you’ve known someone for a decade, you’re not going to end your time with them with a fist bump,” one senator told a reporter.
“[Coronavirus] is just a flu,” a representative told his colleagues on the floor.
But on Thursday the mood couldn’t have been more different. What was usually a celebratory day marked by ceremony, pomp and bustling halls filled with lobbyists instead was marked by an uneasy atmosphere and an empty Capitol.
The traditional drop of two white handkerchiefs that represent both chambers usually draws crowds of families, lawmakers and lobbyists packed into the Capitol rotunda. On Thursday, the ceremony took place before virtually no one as camera crews set up for an echoing press conference with no attendees other than reporters.
“Welcome to sine die in the age of social distancing,” Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters shortly after, referencing the Latin name for the adjournment of session.
Last Thursday, Florida had 27 positive cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. On the day of the budget vote, there were 390 positive cases and eight deaths statewide.
Senators trickled on to the floor to record their attendance but noticeably had stopped the handshakes and hugs that were so plentiful a week ago. They spoke to each other feet apart with an occasional elbow-bump. The galleries were closed to the public. Staff asked all who entered the building about their travel history and if they had experienced any symptoms of respiratory illness before they were allowed to pass.
All lawmakers were screened for the virus by one of their own in a conference room off the Speaker’s office. Avon Park Republican Rep. Cary Pigman, who doubles as an emergency physician, worked with nurse practitioners to ask lawmakers about their travel history and take their temperatures.
But some said the procedure was faulty.
Rep. Michael Grieco, D-Miami Beach, said “everyone got herded into the same lounge in the back.”
Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, questioned whether the gathering violated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines of keeping gatherings under 10 people.
“There were grins when I asked,” he said.
On the Senate side, the screenings were more “voluntary,” said Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami Beach.
Some lawmakers stayed home
The business of the day was to vote on the $93 billion budget, but the debate was colored by coronavirus, a threat which hung heavy over the chambers. Twenty lawmakers opted to stay home, though many said they would submit a note saying how they would have voted had they been present, which is entered into the record but doesn’t count toward passage.
Instead, the absent lawmakers watched the live stream from their living rooms and kitchen tables. Many of them represent districts in South Florida, where nearly half the cases are clustered.
Rep. Cindy Polo, D-Hialeah, said she was planning to travel to Tallahassee but decided not to after coming down with a cold. She has a 4-year-old son and older parents “that depend on me,” she said.
“It will feel odd to vote this way,” she said in a statement. “But this is a new normal we all must adapt to.”
Rep. Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, also decided to watch from home because of the health of her family. Her school-age kids are all home on their extended spring breaks, and she said their caretaker called out sick, also cementing her decision to stay.
“I’m a single mom of four kids, and I wanted to make sure that they’re healthy and I’m not bringing any potential dangers back,” she said.
Rep. Joseph Geller, D-Aventura, said he stayed home out of concern for his own health and that of his colleagues. He is over 60, has diabetes and a history of respiratory problems, he said.
“I just want to be sure,” Geller said. “I’m in an area where there is community spread.”
Some South Florida lawmakers who usually fly to Tallahassee made the seven-hour commute by car due to canceled flights and heightened precautions.
While $25.2 million in general revenue and $27.3 million in federal funding were appropriated to address coronavirus response in the state, some lawmakers asked whether it would be enough.
They brought up topics like retroactive hazard pay for healthcare workers, supply chain issues and food insecurity.
What about prison system?
Rep. Dianne Hart, D-Tampa, who has been a leader on prison issues, asked what is being done to address a potential outbreak in the state prison system. Inmates can’t have hand sanitizer, she said, and lawmakers can no longer visit to keep tabs on what is happening inside.
“We know that one outbreak in our prison system is going to devastate the inmates we have,” she said. “We have thousands of people over 60 housed in our facilities.”
While the state has billions of dollars in reserves, lawmakers were concerned that money would not be used appropriately. They also brought up the possibility of a special session that could be called to address the crisis, which has touched nearly every aspect of life, from small businesses to tourism to the state of Florida’s public health.
“I am concerned about what we’re doing,” said Rep. Even Jenne, D-Dania Beach. “[Budget] Chair [Travis] Cummings is going to have a much more difficult job as we progress through the year ... I know this chamber has a history of not wanting to dip into reserves, but this may be a time where we consider it. This budget is not going to be enough as we move forward.”
Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, said it may be necessary for lawmakers to come back and redo the budget because the economic future is so uncertain.
“I was here during 9/11 when we had to rush back here and deal with our budget ... this feels worse,” Lee said. “I have constituents at home that are going to wonder what we were thinking. We do the best we can with the info we have at the time.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 3:00 PM.