FRANKFORT, Ky. — After one Kentucky legislator tested positive for COVID-19, many are questioning whether the diagnosis will change how lawmakers approach their jobs.
State Sen. Max Wise said he started experiencing mild symptoms July 9, announcing his positive test July 13. The 16th District Republican, who co-chairs the interim joint committee on education, led a meeting just one week ago.
Wise and several other GOP colleagues, while socially distanced, did not wear masks. The mandate enforcing masks in public had not been issued at the time.
Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey said he does not want the issue to be about politics, saying all legislators should owe it to each other to wear a mask.
"Masks should not be political," McGarvey said. "Taking care of yourself and others is not political, and I just think, again, when you're in a committee hearing and you're with legislators from all over the state, that you owe it to yourself and you owe it to others to wear a mask."
Wise said he was not doing interviews, but would post any updates on social media.
"I'm doing fine. I've not shown any symptoms at all since Thursday night's mild symptoms, which caused me Friday to go have a COVID test done," Wise said. "I had two tests just because also the nature of my wife and her profession in the health care community, I felt it was necessary to do so."
WHAS11 has reached out to House and Senate Republican leadership to see if Senator Wise's diagnosis will change any requirements.
House and Senate democratic leadership released a joint statement, saying no legislators at the Government Contract Review Committee hearing wore masks after Wise's announcement.
"We are calling on House and Senate leaders to require masks during committee meetings and when interacting with legislative staff," leadership said. "Given the circumstances, such a request shouldn't be necessary, but given the behavior we've seen, it is clear we have no other choice."
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