By Sierra Hatfield, CSG Policy Analyst

Executive Summary

This update expands upon remote participation in state legislatures to provide a current snapshot of practice and plans for remote participation across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Table 1 summarizes the types of remote participation utilized by each state.  Changes are marked with triple X’s.  States prefer to at least allow participation by tele-means, such as telephone or teleconference.  Previously 10 states either did not or were not planning to utilize remote participation in the legislature, although that list has decreased to nine as the Alaska Senate attempts to allow participation by video conference.

Five states have updates this week.  They are:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Illinois
• New Mexico
• Wyoming

Type of Remote Participation by State (updated Feb. 9)

State	None	Undecided	By Proxy	By Tele-means	By Video	By Other Electronic Means
AL						x
AK	x				xxx
AZ						x
AR			x
CA		x
CO		x
CT				x
DE				x	x
D.C			x
FL		x
GA						x
HI				x	x	x
ID	x
IL		x			xxx
IN	x
IA		x
KS		x
KY			x		x	x
LA				x		x
ME	x
MD	x
MA				x	x	x
MI						x
MN					x	x
MS	x
MO		x
MT		x
NE		x
NV				x	x
NH		x
NJ				x		x
NM				x		x
NY				x	x
NC			x	x	x
ND				x	x
OH				x	x	x
OK			x	x	x
OR		x
PA			x	x
RI		x
SC		x
SD				x		x
TN	x
TX		x
UT				x	x	x
VT		x
VA		x
WA				x
WV	x
WI				x
WY						x

State by State Updates

AL – Alabama

Legislative Session Dates: 02/02/21 – 05/18/21

Consideration of Remote Participation:

• Governor Kay Ivey gave the State of the State address last week as legislators watched by remote feed before meeting in the capitol.

AK – Alaska

Legislative Session Dates: 01/19/21 – 04/19/21

Consideration of Remote Participation:

• The Senate passed SCR 1 last week that allows members to participate via videoconference if they contract COVID-19 or to establish quorum.

IL – Illinois

Legislative Session Dates: 01/13/21 – 01/12/22

Consideration of Remote Participation:  Engaged

• The Senate announced last week that members will convene in committees by video conference unlike the House which is scheduled to meet for nine days in February with only one being approved for remote participation.
• Video of committee action will be available on the legislature’s website.

NM – New Mexico

Legislative Session Dates: 01/19/21 – 03/20/21

Consideration of Remote Participation: 

• House members contested a lawsuit’s allegation that temporary rules allowing remote participation violate the public’s rights to due process as more than 15,000 people watched or participated in legislative proceedings during the first week of session.

WY – Wyoming

Legislative Session Dates: 01/12/21 – 03/04/21

Consideration of Remote Participation: 

• Governor Mark Gordon, Senate President Dan Dockstader, and House Speaker Eric Barlow have committed to a plan for a hybrid remote and in-person session beginning March 1.  The plan includes requirements such as social distancing, masks, and that all executive branch members participate in legislative business remotely.

This analysis was last updated on February 9, 2021. If you have additional information or would like to update the information for your state, please contact Sierra Hatfield via email at [email protected].

By: Rachel Wright, Research Associate

Both public health guidelines and the desire among state officials to protect poll workers and voters alike have prompted states to implement changes to voting procedures throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Governors in over 17 states have issued executive orders delaying elections and prioritizing mail ballots. Furthermore, over 200 bills have been proposed by legislators that seek to enhance the ability of voters to safely cast their ballot as well as help elections officials to process and count mail ballots.

Continue reading “State Election Preparations During COVID-19: Legislative Trends”

By Sierra Hatfield, CSG policy analyst

Summary

• Not everyone has received their stimulus relief, therefore the federal government is trying an innovative option — loaded debit cards.
• The debit cards are expected to reach four million Americans via mail and will provide immediate access to funds once activated.

Continue reading “Federal Fiscal Response to COVID-19: Economic Impact Payment debit cards”

By Sierra Hatfield, CSG policy analyst

It’s no secret that small businesses in America are struggling in the current economic reality created by COVID-19. It is a reality that has spawned two massive rounds of federal loans to keep small businesses alive and has caused many states to enter into guessing games — what is the outlook of reopening their economies now? Will more people get sick? If they reopen later, will there be any ma and pa shops left?  Will their customers be financially stable enough to return in the first place? These are the questions faced by all in the small business industry, especially restaurants.

Continue reading “States are Working to Help Struggling Restaurant Industry”

By James Tatum, CSG policy analyst

On April 13, two groups of states announced their intentions to coordinate their responses to economic shutdowns caused by COVID-19. On the west coast, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington published a press release indicating that they would identify “clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business[1].” In the northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts announced a similar agreement to create a framework of guidelines to “gradually lift the states’ stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus[2].” On Thursday, April 16, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin issued a press release outlining their goals for a regional economic plan during the current pandemic.

Continue reading “States Form Pacts to Coordinate Economic Response to COVID-19”

By Sean Slone, CSG senior policy analyst

As we reported recently, actions taken by the federal government since the outbreak of the coronavirus have helped to expand access to telehealth services around the country at a critical time. But states too have have done their part to make virtual care available during the pandemic, especially in the wake of the move by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow clinicians to provide telehealth services for Medicare beneficiares and to encourage states to relax licensing laws on out-of-state providers.

Continue reading “State Actions Advancing Telehealth During Pandemic”

Summary

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a series of programs to help essential workers and other Michigan citizens affected by COVID-19

Continue reading “State Response to COVID-19: Latest COVID Reponses from Michigan”

Summary

• COVID-19 is impacting the restaurant industry on all fronts, from disrupting the food supply chain to causing many restaurant employees to be out of a job – all of which can effect states’ economic future.
• The industry has suffered the “most significant sales & job losses since the COVID-19 outbreak began.”
• States remain innovative in helping restaurants survive, especially as some consider reopening their economies soon
• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by the federal government is still processing loans and working to get financial aid intot the hands of small businesses, ie restaurants

Continue reading “Fiscal Response to COVID-19: The Restaurant Industry”

JUNE 18, 2020

 This guidance is developed by the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED). SEED is an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), assists states in developing effective and inclusive workforce policies that promote disability employment. Recognizing that every state is unique, SEED offers policy options and resources states can tailor to meet their needs and goals. To this end, SEED partners with leading intermediary organizations that serve as trusted sources of information to state and local policymakers.

Continue reading “POLICY BRIEF: COVID-19: FEDERAL DISABILITY-SPECIFIC AND OTHER RELATED GUIDANCE”