Manitoba.

• Author: Recksiedler, Greg
• Position: Legislative Reports

2nd Session of the 42nd Legislature--Limited Resumption of Sittings

In the last submission, it was advised that the Second Session of the 42nd Legislature resumed on March 4, 2020, sat until March 19, when the House agreed unanimously to suspend its sittings indefinitely after the end of that sitting day. The agreement on March 19 reflected that the Speaker would call the House back upon the request of the Government House Leader, or on the request of the collective group of the Government House Leader, the Opposition House Leader and the Member for River Heights (acting as representative of Independent Members). The first special sitting occurred on April 15, 2020, with special COVID-19 precautions implemented. Subsequently, the Government House Leader announced that the House would resume for four consecutive Wednesdays in May, commencing May 6, 2020. The House adjourned on the same terms on May 27 and is not expected to resume sitting until October 7, 2020.

COVID Response

The Assembly's response to the COVID-19 Pandemic included the following measures implemented from March through May, 2020:

* Closing the Public Galleries, with video broadcasting expanded from Routine Proceedings to gavel-to-gavel.

* The establishment of an Assembly Pandemic Leadership Team, made up of the Speaker and senior Managers.

* Closing the Golden Boy gift shop

* Developing Guidelines for staff to manage physical distancing in the Assembly work spaces.

* Setting up VPN access to allow a majority of staff to work from home.

* Establishing a team to develop plans for virtual sittings of the Assembly and committees.

* Establishing physical distancing measures for meetings of the House and committees, including:

* An alternate House seating plan to provide physical distancing in the House for MLAs.

* Agreement to facilitate House sittings with one third of MLAs present

* Considering some Bills in the Committee of the Whole rather than Standing Committees.

* Supplying cotton masks to be used by House staff who wished to wear them during sittings; and

* Reconfiguring the Committee rooms to facilitate better physical distancing, as well as an agreement to reduce the Committee membership from 11 ML As to six.

May Sittings

During the four May sitting days, May 6,13,20, and 27 respectively, the House adopted similar measures to that of the previous April 15 sitting. The House Leaders agreed that only one third of all parties' Members would be sitting in the Chamber...