The Connecticut General Assembly convened in a special session on September 27 to authorize an extension of Gov. Lamont’s emergency powers.

The extension allows Gov. Lamont to continue to issue executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and allows his current orders to remain in effect.

The House adjourned sine die that afternoon, and the Senate followed suit the next day.

Gov. Brian Kemp called a special session of the Georgia General Assembly to convene on November 3.

The special session will focus on redistricting, as well as to consider ratification of executive orders and confirmations of gubernatorial appointments.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed three executive orders, changing former Gov. Bill Haslam’s policies on gifts to state employees, ethics disclosures for interactions with the General Assembly, and government hiring, among others.

Lee added to Haslam’s policy on gifts by including “beverage” and “refreshment” on the list of banned gifts that can be accepted by a state employee from those intending to conduct business with the state agency where the employee works.

Lee’s Executive Order 2 expands the scope of employees required to file ethical disclosures by adding senior members and all employees who regularly interact with the General Assembly.

Lee’s Executive Order 3 requires human resources and labor officials to train executive branch managers on nondiscrimination employment practices within 120 days and with “reasonable frequency” afterward.

Under Executive Order 4, Lee’s anti-discrimination policy in government hiring practices changes “gender” to “sex” and adds pregnancy, veteran’s status, and any other “category protected and/or federal civil rights laws”.

The executive orders were issued on January 24.