The 2021 legislative session will start off closed to all but lawmakers, essential staff, and some members of the media.

All others will participate virtually, according to a logistics plan issued by the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

The plan released on Thursday, less than two weeks before the legislative session begins on February 1, is similar to one in place during two special sessions over the summer.

However, the plan hints at broader access once core personnel are vaccinated for COVID-19.

Members of the public can watch hearings through the legislative website and through YouTube livestreams.

Those wishing to participate in hearings will do so by reservation and through Zoom.

Public comments can be made by phone, or through videoconference at designated locations being developed across the state.

Legislators will meet with constituents and lobbyists through Microsoft Teams.

Once lawmakers and staff have been vaccinated, lobbyists and members of the public will be allowed at hearings in person by reservation.

Participants who come in person will need to show documentation they have been vaccinated or take a free, rapid COVID test before entering the building.

In order to account for more virtual lobbying taking place, the plan also calls for an update to state law.

Only lobbyists who appear in person in the building will need to register with the Legislative Counsel Bureau and be regulated.

Lawmakers convened the 122nd Indiana General Assembly with several adjustments due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

These changes include moving the House of Representatives to the Government Center South building and installing plexiglass barriers in Senate.

Neither chamber is requiring masks despite a push by House Democrats on Organization Day for a mask mandate.

Republicans also have supermajorities in both chambers.

Lawmakers will be focusing on writing the two-year budget, which must be done by June 30.

Additionally, they will redraw legislative and congressional district lines when the state receives the population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Florida House and Senate have instituted COVID-19 safety protocols during committee meetings ahead of the 2021 legislative session.

For the month of January, Senate committee meetings will be limiting in-person attendance to individuals invited by the committee leaders.

Rooms at the Leon County Civic Center have been reserved and will be made available to other individuals wishing to remotely appear and provide testimony.

House committee meetings attendance will also be limited.

Individuals seeking to attend and provide public testimony must register online at least three hours prior to the meeting.

Once seating capacity is reached, individuals will be allowed to provide written testimony.

The testimony will then be distributed amongst the committee members prior to the meeting.

The new House protocols will be in effect until February 28.

The Illinois House elected Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch as speaker of the House.

This took place shortly after the swearing-in of newly elected General Assembly members, to start the 2021 regular session.

Welch succeeds Rep. Michael Madigan, the longest-serving statehouse speaker in U.S. history, and becomes the first Black person to hold the position.

Three women who were running for the position withdrew before the vote after Welch entered the race following an announcement by Madigan he was suspending his own campaign.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced he was calling a special session of the Legislature during his State of the State address, delivered virtually for the first time in the state’s history.

He called the special session to consider the State Unemployment System.

Evers explained that, due to an outdated system, the Department of Workforce Development has struggled to keep up with an unprecedented number of claims.

The Colorado Legislature will convene for the 2021 regular session on January 13.

However, it is expected to pause soon after until February 16 due to growing COVID-19 concerns in the state.

Lawmakers will convene to address urgent business, including swearing in new members, as quickly as possible before temporarily pausing the session.

The tentative plan is to resume February 16 when leaders hope the peak of the pandemic will have subsided. However, work may resume earlier if there is an emergency that requires immediate attention.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

The Illinois Legislature began a final session for the 101st General Assembly on January 8.

The Senate met at the Capitol while the House met at the Bank of Springfield Center.

The separate meeting locations accommodated social distancing due to COVID-19 concerns.

Rep. Patrick Windhorst indicated if ethics reforms were not addressed, he would refile a proposal for the 102nd General Assembly, set to convene January 13.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan announced he is suspending his bid for another term as speaker, but is not withdrawing from the race.

A speaker must be elected before the House of Representatives can begin work.

Another new batch of states are going in session this week! Are you ready?

1. Arizona
2. Arkansas
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Delaware
6. Georgia
7. Idaho
8. Illinois
9. Iowa
10. Maryland
11. Michigan
12. New Jersey
13. South Carolina
14. South Dakota
15. Tennessee
16. Texas
17. Virginia
18. Washington
19. West Virginia
20. Wisconsin
21. Wyoming

It’s another big week in a busy legislative year. Stay in touch with lobbycomply.com to see when the other starts will convene.

The North Dakota Legislature convened January 5 for the 2021 session with improvements to live streaming and remote technology, making remote testimony by the public possible.

Committee meetings and floor sessions will be carried live.

House and Senate floor sessions have been live-streamed, archived, and indexed online.

Anyone wishing to testify remotely must register online.

In-person testimony may be permitted by the committee chair, although committee rooms will have limited seating due to social distancing, and masks are required.

State lawmakers may participate remotely from home if infected, or from office space in the Capitol if desired.

While some lobbyists have indicated they may testify remotely, no lawmakers have indicated an intent to work remotely.

Both the Vermont House and Senate are scheduled to begin their 2021 sessions Wednesday, January 6.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of lawmakers will be attending remotely to swear in new members of both chambers and to elect the speaker of the House and the president pro tem of the Senate.

Gov. Phil Scott will remotely give his inaugural address on Thursday, January 7.

Campaign Finance

California: “Ex-Election Watchdog Urged to Probe Donation to Newsom Recall Bid” by Nathan Solis for Courthouse News Service

New York: “Three Men Gave $250 Each to a Candidate for City Comptroller – and Say They Never Heard of Him” by Clifford Michel for The City

Elections

Georgia: “Raphael Warnock Wins Georgia Runoff Election Against Sen. Loeffler, Lifting Democratic Hopes of Claiming Senate Majority” by Reis Thebault, Michael Scherer, and Cleve Wootson Jr. for Washington Post

Ethics

National: “‘Covid Can Kill’: Lawmakers issue fresh warnings about virus after death of Rep.-elect Luke Letlow” by David Nakamura and Fenit Nirappil (Washington Post) for MSN

California: “Former Oakland Building Inspector Accused of Bribery Fined $55,000 by Ethics Commission” by Annie Sciacca for San Jose Mercury News

Pennsylvania: “Ex-House Speaker John Perzel Wins 3rd and Likely Final Bid to Avoid Paying $1M for Corruption Conviction” by Matt Miller for PennLive.com

South Carolina: “Magistrate Judges Took Bribes, Stole Money and Mishandled Cases. South Carolina Officials Now Want Reform” by Joseph Cranney (Charleston Post and Courier) for ProPublica

Legislative Issues

National: “House Approves Rules Package for New Congress” by Juliegrace Brufke and Cristina Marcos for The Hill

Lobbying

North Dakota: “North Dakota Lobbyist Gift Ban Takes Effect; Ethics Bills Set in Legislature” by Jack Dura for Bismarck Tribune

In 2021, every state—along with the District of Columbia, Federal Government, and Puerto Rico—will be in session…but not at the same time.

A good number of them are starting this week…but which ones?

1. Federal
2. Connecticut
3. District of Columbia
4. Indiana
5. Kentucky
6. Maine
7. Massachusetts
8. Minnesota
9. Mississippi
10. Missouri
11. Montana
12. Nebraska
13. New Hampshire
14. New York
15. North Dakota
16. Ohio
17. Pennsylvania
18. Rhode Island
19. Vermont

It’s a big start for a big year. Stay in touch with lobbycomply.com to see when the other starts will convene.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has announced the Legislature will convene for a special session on January 19, 2021 to address education challenges due to COVID-19.

Lee has asked lawmakers to focus on key issues including learning loss, funding, accountability, literacy, and teacher pay.

Wisconsin Lawmakers ended the third special session on December 22, with a final adjournment pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

The session was called by Gov. Tony Evers and began on August 31, 2020.

Wisconsin law does not require lawmakers to take any action during a special session and none was taken.

The constitution prohibits either chamber from adjourning without consent of the other for more than 3 days.

Lawmakers then convened and immediately adjourned every Tuesday and Thursday without taking any action until the final adjournment.