UPDATE: Positive COVID-19 test for senator scrambles plans for California Legislature’s final week

A California Republican state senator announced Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, scrambling plans for the Legislature’s end-of-session schedule days before lawmakers are supposed to recess for the year on Aug. 31.

“Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) today, upon his return to Sacramento this week for the end of Session, received news that he has tested positive for COVID-19,” a post to his Facebook page said. “He will be taking additional tests to recheck the results and to rule out possibility of a false-positive result. In the meantime, he’ll be following CDC and CDPH protocols for those receiving a positive test result.”

Jones was on the Senate floor, wearing a face mask, when the house met on Monday.

The Republican has been a vocal critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling during the coronavirus, often taking to social media to call the Democratic governor “King Gavin” and criticize restrictive COVID-19 measures like requiring diners to order a meal when drinking alcohol as government overreach.

This spring, Jones condemned the administration for shutting down religious services, closing down beaches and shuttering restaurants and other businesses. In a May 22 Instagram video, Jones said COVID-19 was a health threat, but noted low hospitalization rates at that time as proof of the need to reopen the economy.

“Politicians exaggerating the extent of a crisis to keep a stranglehold on us? Are you kidding me? I wish I wasn’t,” Jones said.

Legislative staff and members in both houses received email notifications Wednesday that someone in the Senate had tested positive, raising questions on how the report would affect the next week of scheduled floor sessions.

In the final week of session, both houses usually meet all day on their respective floors to vote on remaining bills, a process that involves negotiating face-to-face with fellow lawmakers, lobbyists and key stakeholders.

The Senate was scheduled to hold a floor session at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, but Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, canceled the meeting after receiving the news.

Atkins confirmed earlier in the day that a “member of the Senate family” had tested positive. She said contact tracing was underway and that people who might have been exposed to the virus would be notified.

“We are taking every precaution to ensure that all of the public health guidelines are being followed, including requiring masks and social distancing for everyone in the Capitol, as well as regularly cleaning our facilities,” Atkins said. “The Senate will be prepared to continue our work when we have completed public health protocols to ensure that the risk of exposure has been eliminated. The Senate will use the tools available to us to make sure that we can complete necessary work prior to August 31.”

Jones did not immediately say when or why he was tested. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that those who are tested self-isolate at home while awaiting their results.

The Assembly was continuing to meet Wednesday afternoon.

Lawmakers since March have had to navigate legislating during a global pandemic, an effort that has required extensive cleaning protocol and limiting the number of staff allowed in the building, along with two virus-induced recesses that chiseled time from the legislative schedule.

The Senate has allowed members to vote remotely from their district offices on bills during committee hearings, but required senators to travel to Sacramento for floor sessions scheduled during the last two weeks, when final votes are cast.

Two Assembly members had previously tested positive for the virus this summer, prompting a two week extension of their regular recess in July. The crunched timeline has meant both houses have had to pare down their bill loads and cut hearings to a single meeting.

Dozens of controversial measures, including those on police accountability, housing production and rent relief, still need approval before they make their way to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 10:42 AM.