Despite eased mask recommendations from the federal government and increasing vaccination rates, don’t expect the Oregon Capitol to reopen to the public anytime soon.
The building was closed last spring amid rising cases of COVID-19 and has remained closed through multiple special sessions as well as the entire 2021 legislative session to date. The public can still observe the legislative process, as all legislative meetings are live-streamed, and lawmakers take testimony using virtual platforms.
Legislative leaders are awaiting updated guidance from the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon OSHA, which regulate workplaces. But any new policies would likely ease rules on mask-wearing, not trigger an opening of the building itself.
According to the “Capitol Operations Safety Plan” released in January by House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, the Capitol will not open its doors to the public until Marion County, where the building is located, enters the “lower risk” category in the state’s risk level framework.
Currently, Marion County is considered “high risk,” which is two steps above “lower risk.” In fact, based on recent case counts, the Oregon Health Authority says the county would actually qualify for “extreme risk” were it not for a separate statewide metric on hospitalization rates of COVID-19 patients.
Gov. Kate Brown announced this month that counties in which at least 65% of the population age 16 and above is at least partially vaccinated would be eligible to permanently move down to “lower risk.” Marion County does not appear on the cusp of reaching that threshold, with 52% of its eligible population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine as of Monday. The statewide rate is 59%.
The Capitol safety plan is not a law, nor is the closure of the building mandated by public health officials. It was created after a three-month review of Capitol operations by a panel of lawmakers and nonpartisan staff.
“As we continue to address the hardship brought on by the pandemic, this plan will ensure safety, transparency, and strong public participation in the 2021 legislative session,” Kotek said in a press release announcing it in January.
On a typical day during a legislative session, hundreds of people are in the building, including lawmakers, staff, lobbyists, journalists, members of the public wishing to testify or observe, and even schoolchildren on field trips. Currently, only lawmakers, some staff members, and the press are allowed inside.
Republicans have been calling for the building to be reopened, and blame Democrats for sticking to the reopening metrics contained in the safety plan.
Keeping the Capitol closed indefinitely “is further evidence that our state is not following the science,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan of Canby. “It is time to open the building.”
The legislature’s interim director of human resources, Jessica Knieling, said her office is not tracking the number of lawmakers who have been vaccinated. Many have posted on social media that they have received the vaccine. Two others have publicly disclosed they got the virus and suffered symptoms.
All Oregonians 12 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine.