Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 6:28 p.m.
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Statehouse has reopened to the public in a limited capacity for the initial time this legislative session after pandemic-forced closures.
Only 21 visitors registered to enter on Thursday, when a handful of lobbyists could be seen speaking with lawmakers in the building’s hallways. Still, it was a far cry from the busy atmosphere of past legislative sessions.
But the return to in-person lobbying makes the lawmaking process more smooth, said Elliot Malin, a lobbyist for groups including the Anti-Defamation League and the Nevada Society of Integrative Medicine.
“It’s not just (working) face-to-face, it’s working with others that you know you need to work with,” Malin said. “When we go to a committee hearing and we’re testifying via phone and we don’t know who is going to be testifying in opposition, support or neutral, we don’t know who is doing what.”
Legislative leadership had long said they would not open the building until legislative staff had a chance to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19. With the second round of vaccines made available to those in the Legislature in late March, enough time has passed for staff to be inoculated.
There are still limitations.
Usually, members of the public are free to simply enter the building. Now, appointments are needed through the legislative website, which requires a guest to identify which committee meeting they are attending. Visitors are required to produce proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test result. Any appointments to enter the building must be made 24 hours in advance.
“We look forward to welcoming people back to the Legislature and appreciate the cooperation everyone has shown so that we can maintain a safe environment,” said Brenda Erdoes, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, in a news release.
Besides the relatively quiet atmosphere, increased security measures will likely be the most visible change.
The entrance to the building is now outfitted with metal detectors and X-ray machines, a direct response to the deadly Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol building.
“With state legislatures across the country experiencing an uptick in threatening and violent behavior that followed the events of Jan. 6 … we began to look at ways to increase building security and safety protocols,” Erdoes said in March.
Going through security was relatively painless, Malin said, though he’s expecting the process to take a bit more time as the Legislature gets busier.
He wasn’t surprised, he said, at the small turnout. Many lobbyists, he said, are based in Las Vegas or have gotten used to working at home.
“I think it will get busier as things progress,” he said.
