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BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana State Legislature has adjourned the 2020 legislative session due to coronavirus concerns.

Legislators will gather again on March 31.

“The public health crisis at hand has placed the legislature in unchartered waters,” Senate President Page Cortez said. “With every decision we make, we are balancing the health and welfare of our citizens, staff, and legislators with our constitutional responsibilities. At this time, we believe it is in the best interest of our state to temporarily adjourn the session.”

The decision to adjourn stems from directives from the CDC to practice social distancing in order to limit the spread of coronavirus.

“While the matters being considered at the legislative session are important, nothing is more important than the safety and welfare of each and every Louisiana citizen,” House of Representatives Speaker Clat Schexnayder said. “The President and I have been in constant communication about what is best for the state and at this point, the best course of action is to adjourn temporarily and come back ready to work when the risk has diminished.”