Inauguration festivities for Gov. Roy Cooper and other statewide officials will be held as a limited event on January 9 in Raleigh.

Due to ongoing pandemic concerns, attendance at the inauguration will be limited to family, staff, and media.

However, the event will be televised statewide.

The Inaugural Ball celebration has been postponed to an unspecified date when it can be conducted safely.

The inauguration ceremony for New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu previously scheduled for Thursday, January 7 has been canceled due to safety concerns.

A small inauguration ceremony will instead take place the same evening followed by Sununu’s inaugural address at 7 p.m.

On January 3, the United States House of Representatives began the first session of the 117th Congress.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi won her fourth election as speaker of the House by 216 votes to 209 votes. Of the 435 seats in the House, the Democrats lead with a slim majority of 222 seats.

Pelosi stated the lawmakers’ “most urgent priority will continue to be defeating the coronavirus,” according to the New York Times.

The U.S. Senate also officially met in a pro forma session to begin its two-year period of legislative business. On January 5, the Georgia election for its two U.S. Senators will decide which party controls the Senate.

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.

The New York Legislature is set to convene a special session on Monday, December 28.

Lawmakers are meeting to pass legislation extending the ban on residential evictions past its January 1, 2021 deadline.

Tenants who present a legal document attesting to lost income, inability to find employment, inability to afford the costs of moving, or have experienced increased expenses due to COVID-19 may have pending evictions within a month of the proposed bill’s effective date delayed until May 1, 2021.

The second special session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on December 16.

The special session called by Gov. Mike Parson to focus on getting federal CARES Act funding distributed to the state began on November 5 and included 10 legislative days interrupted by COVID-19.

Before adjourning lawmakers passed a bill to distribute the federal CARES Act funds.

The Board of Ethics announced a further delay in the implementation of Ethics Ordinance 2019-5305, previously set for January 1, 2021.

Implementation is set for April 1, 2021, due to the continuing work by the city and many non-profit organizations in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The ordinance imposes new registration and reporting requirements on certain nonprofit interactions with the city.

With the announcement, the Board and the Mayor’s Office stated they are committed to working with nonprofit organizations and stakeholders to understand and respond to their concerns about this law and on working toward amendments that increase transparency in Chicago.

The Oregon Legislature gathered in person for a one day special session on Monday.

During the session, lawmakers passed four bills including $800 million in relief for those struggling due to the pandemic and the aftermath of the historic summer wildfires.

Gov. Kate Brown called for the special session last week.

Lawmakers also passed:

• An eviction moratorium including $200 million in relief for landlords and tenants
• A restaurant relief package with a provision legalizing cocktails to-go
• A bill protecting schools from some coronavirus related lawsuits
• A measure transferring $600 million into the state’s emergency fund for COVID-19 and wildfire response and recovery.

The special session got off to a chaotic start with far-right protesters storming the statehouse calling on lawmakers and the governor to reopen the state economy and end the restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus.

The Oregon State Police declared an unlawful assembly as a growing number of protesters pushed their way through the Capitol doors.

Police officers donned gas masks as they squared off with protesters, some of whom carried firearms and bear spray, and many of whom were not wearing masks.

Despite the hectic backdrop, lawmakers were able to finish the special session.

Gov. Kate Brown will call lawmakers into a one-day special session on December 21.

The legislature will consider $800 million in relief for Oregonians suffering financially from the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s wildfires.

The funding will go towards helping tenants and landlords, funding vaccine distribution and contact tracing, wildfire prevention, and community preparedness and support for reopening schools.

The one-day session will take place in person at the Capitol.

Legislative officials are consulting with the state epidemiologist to ensure they can meet in a healthy and safe environment.

Just one week after accepting the nomination as speaker of the New Hampshire House, Rep. Dick Hinch has died of COVID-19.

Hinch’s deputy Sherman Packard will serve as acting speaker until at least January 6, 2021, when the full House is scheduled to meet again and name a successor.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the seventh special session of the Legislature beginning December 14.

This session will focus on extending the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by 30 days.

Additionally, Walz will urge lawmakers to pass a COVID-19 relief package for small businesses, workers, and families.

Walz is obligated by law to call a special session for the Legislature to approve the extension of his emergency rule-making powers in response to the pandemic.

The Legislature will, then, determine the length of the session.

The Arizona Legislature will close for a week “out of an abundance of caution” after Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, possibly exposed several Republican lawmakers to COVID-19.

Giuliani had tested positive for the virus less than a week after the former New York City mayor visited Arizona as part of a multistate tour aimed at contesting 2020 election results.

Giuliani had spent more than 10 hours discussing election concerns with Arizona Republicans, including two members of Congress and at least 13 current and future state lawmakers.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 404 into law, extending expiration dates for licenses issued by state agencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lobbyist registrations set to expire at the end of 2020 will remain active until July 1, 2021.

Any lobbyist who does not plan to continue lobbying activity in 2021 must log in and terminate engagement in OLAC.

The new renewal registration window will open in late spring 2021.

All registered lobbyists will receive follow-up information regarding specific dates from JLEC.

This extension is limited to lobbying engagements registered prior to November 22, 2020.

New lobbyists submit registrations in the usual manner, within 10 days of engagement.

This extension does not affect the deadline for activity and expenditure reports required to be filed electronically in OLAC by Monday, February 1, 2021.

Campbell County commissioners appointed Chris Knapp to fill a vacant House seat after Gillette Republican Rep. Roy Edwards died from COVID-19 on November 2.

The commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to appoint Knapp to the House District 53 seat at a special meeting.

Knapp was one of three finalists interviewed during the meeting.