Legislators finished the 2020 session just as the coronavirus pandemic was taking off. They’ll open the 2021 session on Tuesday with the virus’s spread at new heights. Tuesday’s session is largely ceremonial — the real work starts in January. But legislators must pass a new two-year budget and new maps for Indiana’s nine congressional districts. And both parties say they plan to fast-track a bill to prevent lawsuits against businesses, nonprofits, and schools from people who claim they caught coronavirus there. The House and Senate are requiring staffers and media to wear masks, and are “strongly encouraging” it for legislators.
