Rep. David Byrd enjoyed the company of colleagues on the House floor Nov. 24. Out of session, the House Republican Caucus returned to Nashville just before Thanksgiving to reelect leadership, a gathering that came just a few days after its multi-night retreat at Pickwick Landing State Park in Byrd's district. On the first night of the retreat, Byrd hosted a dinner with dozens of caucus members at a local restaurant, an event held despite public health guidance — and eventually conservative Gov. Bill Lee — urging people not to gather beyond small groups throughout the holidays. A week and half after the caucus meeting, Byrd, 63, was flown by helicopter from Waynesboro to Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville for complications from COVID-19. The November caucus meeting was the last time he has been at the state Capitol.