Despite the Texas Capitol’s protocol changes due to COVID-19, the THSC Watchmen were gearing up for a successful legislative session.
The 2021 Watchmen team faced challenges and opportunities no team before them has.
Some legislator offices were operating on-site as in previous years, while some were open only by appointment and others were completely remote.
The great deal of time spent at the Capitol is sure to be a unique experience. For Texas’ Inauguration Day, officials at the Capitol recommended visitors take a COVID-19 test when they arrived.
According to a resolution passed by the Texas Senate at the beginning of the legislative session, members of the public were required to test negative before being permitted into the senate chamber.
This at least doubled the amount of time it took to enter. Despite these challenges, the THSC Watchmen took their first of many trips to the Capitol building in January.
They spent time introducing themselves to legislative staff, explaining their legislative agenda for the upcoming session, and distributing one-page documents with information on each bill they hoped to pass.