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It's a stark contrast to what normally takes place during the initial round of committee hearings.
As lawmakers gathered this week in Tallahassee, the scene in the Capitol was a stark departure from the typically convivial initial round of committee meetings in advance of the legislative session.
The marbled halls of the Capitol building in downtown Tallahassee would typically be buzzing during the committee-meeting kickoff, as lobbyists rub elbows with legislators and aides while advocating for issues ranging from medical marijuana to budget items.
But the coronavirus pandemic has transformed the 22-story edifice and adjacent buildings into an eerily desolate landscape as lawmakers and their staff, lobbyists and reporters comply with new restrictions aimed at keeping as few people as possible from roaming inside the Capitol complex.