(Radio Iowa) — Legislators are gathered at the Iowa Capitol today (Monday) with an unprecedented agenda. The plan is to as quickly as possible pass bills that will keep government operating, give schools authority to teach students online and grant the governor new powers to act during the COVID-19 emergency. The 2020 Iowa Legislature will then be suspended — for at least 30 days.

After briefly convening in open session early this (Monday) afternoon, members of both the House and Senate went into private meetings to discuss the scope of the bills they’ll be voting upon as soon as possible. While the plan to is suspend meeting as a group for at least 30 days, Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley says lawmakers will continue to talk via phone and conduct business via video conferences.

“I just want to be clear our expectation isn’t say, ‘Everyone go home and we won’t speak for 30 days,'” Grassley told reporters. “That’s not the expectation of the legislature.” Lawmakers do expect to return at some point this spring — or perhaps even this summer — to take action on a variety of policy proposals. That includes bills that would change the state’s medical marijuana program and resolutions outlining proposed constitutional amendments on abortion and felon voting rights.