December 15, 2020 The Honorable Wylie Galt The Honorable Mark Blasdel Speaker-elect President-elect Montana House of Representatives Montana Senate P.O. Box 200400 P.O. Box 200500 Helena, MT 59620-0400 Helena, MT 59620-0500 The Honorable Kim Abbott The Honorable Jill Cohenour Minority Leader-elect Minority Leader-elect Montana House of Representatives Montana Senate P.O. Box 200400 P.O. Box 200500 Helena, MT 59620-0400 Helena, MT 59620-0500 ** SENT BY ELECTRONIC MAIL ** Dear Montana House and Senate Leadership: The 67th Legislative Session will begin under some of the most unique circumstances in our history. Even under those circumstances, we have much to accomplish for the people of Montana, and I, like you, am ready to get the people’s business done, just as they expect us to do. I have spoken with each of you, and we agree that the Capitol needs to be a safe place for lawmakers and staff to conduct the people’s business. To that end, we will take commonsense, precautionary measures in the governor’s office to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, keep our staff safe and healthy, and do our jobs until a vaccine is widely available. These steps include: • Encouraging all visitors to wear masks and providing them at points of entry; • Performing temperature checks for staff and visitors; • Facilitating regular, frequent testing of staff and ensure results are transparent; • Promoting social distancing and minimizing close contact among staff and visitors; • Ensuring workspaces are regularly cleaned and sanitized; • Using remote meeting technology when feasible; • Providing flexibility for staff to work remotely; and • Using available technology for enhanced air purification. To minimize crowding, we will pause approval of indoor events in the rotunda and common spaces of the Capitol until March 1. Outdoor gatherings on the Capitol grounds will still be permitted upon approval. Ultimately, our shared goal is to do the people’s business safely and have a productive session. I look forward to continuing to work together to achieve that goal. Please let me know how my office can assist with your work. Sincerely, Greg Gianforte Governor-elect .