State Legislatures Suspend Sessions Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Maryland's General Assembly on March 15 became the latest state legislature to announce that it is suspending its session early, as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on public life in the U.S.

Bill Ferguson, the body's Senate president, and Adrienne Jones, the speaker of the House of Delegates, announced in a joint news release that the General Assembly will adjourn on March 18, with plans to reconvene for a special session at the end of May.

"This was not an easy decision to make, but I am confident it was the right one," Ferguson said in a written statement. "We essentially will be condensing the last month of Session into three days with a third of the staff, and focusing on the most important and prioritized policies."

At least 11 state legislatures had postponed their sessions as of March 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Iowa was added to that list the next day after leaders announced that the Legislature's session would be suspended for 30 days, according to the Des Moines Register.

Two of those states -- Kentucky and Nebraska -- came to different decisions after postponing their sessions until March 17. The Kentucky General Assembly announced that it would continue with its session, according to the Courier Journal. The Nebraska Legislature, on the other hand, will continue to be postponed until further notice, according to KOLN.

Talks are ongoing elsewhere. Members of Oklahoma's State Legislature planned to meet in a closed session March 16 to discuss suspending their operations due to the outbreak, according to News9. No decision had been made as of March 17, according to KOCO. Louisiana lawmakers announced after a meeting March 16 that they would temporarily adjourn their session until March 31, according to KTBS.

Only nine states -- Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Rhode Island -- have legislatures that meet throughout the year, according to the NCSL. Others meet for shorter sessions, usually in the winter and spring. Overall, more than half of state legislatures are in session now, meaning that the coronavirus has impacted lawmakers all over the country.

The pandemic is not just impacting lawmaking; state capitols also host government employees, lobbyists, advocates and people taking tours on any given day, according to The Associated Press.

[READ: Coronavirus Concerns Disrupt Work at US State Capitols]

Suspensions and postponements could mean that more special sessions -- like Maryland's, planned for May -- are called later this year. In 36 states, both the governor and state legislature have the ability to convene a special session.

In all, legislatures in Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont have either postponed their sessions or announced plans to do so.

"States are taking it very seriously," said Mick Bullock, public affairs director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, in a written statement provided to U.S. News. "States are truly on the frontline of this pandemic."

Legislatures that are still in session are quickly passing bills to fund state agencies that are fighting the spread of COVID-19, according to the NCSL. States such as Arizona and Maryland have already enacted related bills, while other states, including Georgia and Washington, have legislation in progress.

[MORE: Which States Have Reported Cases of the Coronavirus?]

"We will not stop working on behalf of all Marylanders as we are an equal branch of government," Ferguson added in his statement. "I am incredibly honored to lead this chamber where we get the work of the people done, and I look forward to continuing that work throughout and beyond this crisis."

Asked if the crisis will impact state lawmaking this year overall, Bullock said, "sure it can."

"But state houses around the country are resilient and have the capacity to respond quickly and decisively in ways that are in their state's best interest," he added.

Elliott Davis is a graduate of University of Maryland's Merrill College of Journalism and is a yearlong News intern.