Freshman senator Jason Barrett thinks Legislative sessions meeting amid the coronavirus pandemic have gone well so far.

Barrett, a Brookhaven defense attorney, was elected to serve as the District 39 Senator in November after former Sen. Sally Doty was chosen by Gov. Tate Reeves to serve in a different capacity.

Barrett started his term when the Senate reconvened this month and said he’s enjoyed it so far.

“The sessions have been great,” Barrett said. “As a freshman senator, it’s a lot of learning, but they’ve been very productive.”

Barrett said the Senate is acting carefully to meet safely amid the dangers of COVID-19.

“We’re taking precautions,” Barrett said. “We are social distancing and wearing masks. They are now limiting who can attend committee meetings. But we’re still complying with the Open Meetings Act.”

Barrett said when the Senate splits in order to conduct committee meetings; attendance doesn’t appear to be low.

“From what I’ve seen, the committee meetings have had 100% percent attendance,” Barrett said. “We haven’t had any problems up to this point.”

For senators who may not feel safe attending in-person sessions due to their health, they have other options.

“We’re trying to social distance but still take care of the state’s business,” Barrett said. “There are alternatives for people serving that their health may not allow them.”

The Mississippi Legislature’s sessions are live streamed on YouTube for anyone who is interested. Its channel can be found by searching “Mississippi Legislature” in the search bar.