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Many Colorado Republicans forego masks during special session on COVID-19 relief

Lawmakers plan to inject a hurting state with cash during short session this week

Alex Burness and Saja Hindi
The Denver Post

At the onset of a special legislative session designed to address the extraordinary and ever-worsening devastation wrought by COVID-19 in Colorado, many elected Republicans chose to go maskless Monday inside the Capitol.

The legislature is meeting this week to allocate an expected sum of roughly $328 million in COVID-19 relief. As of last week, state estimates suggested 1 in 41 Coloradans was contagious with the virus.

There is a statewide mask mandate, and safety protocols approved by legislative leadership ahead of the special session stated that “masks should be worn at all times while in the building or anywhere in the Capitol Complex.” Lawmakers have been asked, but are not required, to wear masks while seated at their desks on the chamber floors.



Some Republican legislators chose to go maskless for parts of the day Monday, and the Democrats who control majorities in both chambers — and, thus, procedure — weren’t keen to try to force any change in behavior.

There is a statewide mask mandate, and safety protocols approved by legislative leadership ahead of the special session stated that “masks should be worn at all times while in the building or anywhere in the Capitol Complex.” Lawmakers have been asked, but are not required, to wear masks while seated at their desks on the chamber floors.



For more on this story, go to denverpost.com.


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