Eric Berman Profile picture
Jul 23, 2020 12 tweets 6 min read Read on X
An #INLegis study committee is holding its first meeting to discuss how to hold the next session if the #CoronavirusPandemic is still raging. The Constitution requires the legislature to meet, but Rep. Matthew Lehman, who's chairing the panel, says there's flexibility on how.
Of the 6 committee members, Sen. @JD4IN29 is participating virtually. Sen. @cpgarten is unmasked but keeping double the recommended distance from the other four legislators in the room, who are masked up.
Lehman notes there's a paradox: #INLegis can decide to meet virtually, but would first have to meet in person to pass that bill. That would likely happen in the 1-day organizational session in November, which normally is just ceremonial.
Some changes could be made through rules changes rather than passing a law, but #INLegis would still have to pass them.
.@JD4IN29 says he's participating virtually because he had contact with someone who tested positive. He says #INLegis should discuss whether legislators need to be tested during session.
Ford floats the idea of holding #INLegis session at the convention center instead of the statehouse to allow #socialdistancing. Desks in the House and Senate chamber aren't 6 feet apart, and committee rooms are even more cramped.
.@cpgarten suggests caucus leaders should talk to members to get a sense of how many would participate virtually vs. in person, to get clearer idea of how many people would be on hand and whether the number would be low enough for distancing.
Lehman: #KYLegis finished its session in April, with legislators participating from their offices; the only person on the House floor was the person presenting a bill. Members texted their votes to the clerk.
Several legislators note it's not just about how many #INLegis members are in attendance, but staffers and members of the public.
First real-world illustration of the challenges of a virtual session: @JD4IN29 just lost his Internet connection. Brief recess while they try to reconnect him.
#tbt: the 2020 #INLegis session ended the same day @tomhanks and @RitaWilson tested positive, and the @NBA and @FinalFour halted play after @utahjazz center Rudy Gobert's positive test. IN lockdown began 11 days later.
Hearing has reconvened.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Eric Berman

Eric Berman Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @EricBermanIN

Jul 25, 2022
Halls outside the Senate chamber where #abortion hearing is taking place are jammed with protesters. Chanting is audible in chamber.
Sen. Sue Glick (R-LaGrange) predicts amendments and discussion of possible criminal penalties. Abortion opponents have objected to the lack of enforcement provisions.
Testimony has begun. First witness is a woman raped twice as a teenager, urging legislators not to minimize the trauma accompanying sexual assault.
Read 12 tweets
Jul 25, 2022
Nearly all of the 40 #INLegis Democrats are meeting with @VP at the Indiana State Library to discuss the #abortion bill. First Senate hearing is this afternoon.
.@VP Harris: #INLegis “on the front lines of one of the most critical issues in America today.”
Harris: Dobbs ruling “has already created a health care crisis in America….We are seeing many states attempting to criminalize heath care providers.”
Read 5 tweets
Feb 11, 2022
2,839 new Indiana #coronavirus cases, with 9.4% of today's batch of tests positive. The 7-day positivity rate, which runs a week behind, continues a two-week plunge to 18.3%, still in @StateHealthIN's high-risk zone but lowest since Jan 3. Cases are down 60% from last week.
108 newly reported Indiana #coronavirus deaths, half from the last week but with five dating back to 2021. The death toll rises to 21,299. IDH has also identified one more presumptive #COVID19 death, for a total toll of 22,137.
Indiana #COVID19 hospitalizations drop below 2,000 for the first time since Nov 27 (and lowest since two days before that), at 1,932, down 104 from yesterday. Of those, 392 are in intensive care, 25 fewer than yesterday and fewest since Nov 21. The state has 300 open ICU beds.
Read 5 tweets
Jan 19, 2022
All 92 counties are now rated red (high risk) on @StateHealthIN's weekly risk score.
16,502 new Indiana #coronavirus cases, 2nd-highest total ever, but 3rd week-over-week drop in 5 days.

24.3% of today's batch of tests were positive. The 7-day positivity rate, which runs a week behind, holds steady at a record 30%. It's the 1st time since Dec 26 it hasn't risen.
118 newly reported Indiana #COVID19 deaths, all but 13 in the last five days (but with one late report from 2021), push the death toll to 19,761. IDH has retracted three presumptive #COVID deaths, for a total toll of 20,500.
Read 5 tweets
Jan 18, 2022
Debate begins in Indiana House on final vote on bill limiting employer #vaccinemandates.
House Majority Leader Matt Lehman: "This bill is not about the vaccine itself; it's about the people affected" by mandates. #INLegis
Lehman points to nurses who testified they fear getting fired for being unvaxed, after working for 9 months of pandemic before #vaccine became available.

Last week's #SCOTUS ruling means those nurses aren't affected by this bill; they're still required to get vaxed or get fired.
Read 10 tweets
Jan 18, 2022
710 Hoosiers are in ICU with #COVID19, one fewer than yesterday and the fourth straight drop, but a jump in non-#COVID patients drops the number of open Indiana ICU beds to 218. Overall, 3,460 Hoosiers are hospitalized with COVID, 97 more than yesterday after a three-day decline.
12,126 new Indiana #coronavirus cases, with 25% of today's batch of tests coming back positive. The 7-day positivity rate, which runs a week behind, sets a 15th straight record at 30%.
77 newly reported Indiana #coronavirus deaths, all in the last week; this is the first @StateHealthIN report with no belated reports from 2021 (though there could be more later). The 2-year death toll rises to 19,643; counting presumptive #COVID19 deaths, the total is 20,385.
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(