The state Capitol will reopen to the public with limited hours and service starting Monday, but most of the state employees who normally work there will continue working remotely for now, various officials said.
Most of the government offices in the Capitol in Little Rock have operated with skeleton crews since Secretary of State John Thurston closed the building to the public, starting March 13, with the onset of the covid-19 pandemic.
Thurston decided it was time to reopen the Capitol because "we've been monitoring the situation, including following the Governor's directives, and it seemed like a reasonable date," Thurston spokesman Kevin Niehaus said Thursday.
The building will be open to the public from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and will remain closed on the weekends. The building's staff will continue to have access during normal hours, Thurston said.
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"Masks are not required to enter [the Capitol]," Niehaus said. "We will ask that the public follow CDC guidelines with social distancing."
Thurston said no scheduled events or guided tours will take place inside the building. The cafe and gift shop will remain closed.
Citizens may be subject to further safety measures by other offices within the building, Thurston said.
Niehaus said in a written statement that Gov. Asa Hutchinson "did not urge the Secretary to open the Capitol," but "we did consult with their office about it as well as the other offices within the Capitol."
Hutchinson spokesman Katie Beck said Thursday that the governor didn't talk recently with Thurston about reopening the building to the public.
Thurston on Wednesday announced his decision to reopen, a day after a reporter asked Hutchinson when he will allow the Governor's Mansion and Capitol to open for public tours.
In response to that question Tuesday, Hutchinson said, "The mansion is subject to the same rules [as] everyone else. If there is a large-scale event, then they are going to follow the rules of the public health guidelines, just like every other large venue will follow."
The secretary of state -- not the governor -- oversees the Capitol and its surrounding grounds.
"Even with the Capitol opening to the public, our staff [in the secretary of state's office] will still mostly work from home," Niehaus said. "We will have our tour desk staff come in to provide information to the public. There are no tours at this point."
Hutchinson said, "As everyone has observed, we have been working out of the Capitol office throughout this pandemic.
"While some of my staff has been working remotely, we welcome the opening of the state Capitol and look forward to bringing all staff back as soon as we move into Phase 2," the governor said in a written statement. "We are making preparations to return everyone."
The governor hasn't signaled when he expects to start Phase 2, the next step toward returning life to normal in Arkansas.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin said in a written statement, "We have had someone in the office most days during the Pandemic, almost every day.
"Phones have always been answered and working has continued even on the days we worked remotely," he said. "Bottom line we never stopped working."
Land Commissioner Tommy Land's offices "are already back to full staff," his spokeswoman, Nikki Heck, said in a written statement. "We came back full staff on alternating days on May 4th, and [Tuesday] back to full staff every day."
The Capitol offices of Treasurer Dennis Milligan and Auditor Andrea Lea have been closed for renovations. Some of their employees have been working in other offices in the Victory Building east of the Capitol.
Milligan spokeswoman Stacy Peterson said, "We continue to monitor the information from the Governor's office, and are working to slowly bring staff members back on a rotational basis while keeping in line with the guidelines set forth by the Department of Health and the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]."
"At this time, we do not have a specific date for when we will be back to full staff capacity," she said in a written statement.
Skot Covert, Lea's chief of staff, said in a written statement that the office's employees will "continue working a blend of remotely and in our Victory Building offices through mid-summer at least."
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office has a basement office in the Capitol, but most of its operations are located in a building in downtown Little Rock.
"Although the [downtown] office has been closed to the public, the Attorney General's Office has never shut down and the staff has handled the increased workload caused by the pandemic while working remotely," said Rutledge spokeswoman Amanda Priest.
"We are continually analyzing the data and will open to the public when the time is right. Anyone needing assistance should call, email or message us on any of the social media platforms," she said in a written statement.
Most of Arkansas Legislative Audit and the state House of Representatives' employees have worked remotely since the pandemic hit.
"There will not be any changes for our offices next week," House spokeswoman Cecillea Pond-Mayo said. "But we have been and continue to coordinate with the governor's office regarding workplace recommendations."
Legislative Auditor Roger Norman noted that "Audit employees have worked in the Capitol since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic."
Senate Secretary Ann Cornwell said the Senate's employees "have been here the whole time" and not worked remotely.
Bureau of Legislative Research Director Marty Garrity said, "The bureau has begun to phase in employees coming into the office in addition to employees that were coming into the office to staff committee meetings and respond to requests by members.
"We are not bringing all employees back at this time as many of our employees are able to work from home," she said.
As to whether the public will be allowed to resume physically attending legislative meetings, Garrity said, "At this time, committee meetings will not be open to the public unless the committee meeting takes up agency rules." The meetings are videostreamed.
Meanwhile, Niehaus said the Capitol police will ask people entering the building if they've had:
• Recent fever of 100.4 degrees or higher.
• Recent pneumonia, cough, shortness of breath, or other covid-19 symptoms.
• In the past two weeks, travel overseas or to states and metropolitan areas considered hot spots for the disease.
• In the past two weeks, contact with anyone who has the disease.
Metro on 05/29/2020