Knowledgable sources say Rep. Bill Lippert will chair the House Health Care Committee. The Democrat from Hinesburg has served in the House for 20 years. Paul Heintz, a columnist for Seven Days, broke the story.
In his role as chair of House Judiciary, Lippert helped to lead the passage of the state’s gay marriage in 2009. The state enacted a bias-free policing bill in 2012 under his leadership. Last year, Lippert oversaw the vetting of the GMO labeling bill, which was enacted last year.
Lippert, 64, takes the place of Rep. Mike Fisher, D-Lincoln, who lost his seat in the 2014 elections.
Rep. Maxine Grad, D-Moretown, will take the helm of House Judiciary. Grad holds a juris doctorate from the Vermont Law School, and she is a longtime advocate for domestic violence abuse victims. Grad, 54, has served in the Vermont Legislature since 2000.
Rep. Dave Sharpe, D-Bristol, will be the head of the House Education Committee. The committee will be reconfigured to include members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for drafting tax legislation. House Speaker Shap Smith has made property tax reform his highest priority this year, and created a hybrid policy and tax committee for that purpose.
Sharpe, 68, most recently served as the ranking member of House Ways and Means and has been a member of the House since 2002.
Rep. Mitzi Johnson, D-Grand Isle, will move up in the ranks to chair of House Appropriations. Longtime chair Martha Heath retired this year. Johnson has been a member of the House since 2003.
The House Speaker’s office will not confirm the appointments.
All other chairs in the House remain the same, and are as follows:
Rep. Carolyn Partridge, chair of House Agriculture
Rep. Bill Botzow, chair of House Commerce and Community Development
Rep. Janet Ancel, chair of House Ways and Means
Rep. David Deen, chair of House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources
Rep. Helen Head, chair of House General, Housing and Military Affairs
Rep. Ann Pugh, chair of House Human Services
Rep. Alice Emmons, chair of House Institutions and Corrections
Rep. Tony Klein, chair of House Natural Resources and Energy
Rep. Patrick Brennan, chair of House Transportation
