House committees set as Legislature opens

The 2015-16 legislative biennium opened Wednesday with four new committee chairs in the House.

Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown, released the full list of committee members Wednesday afternoon.

New House committee chairs are Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, Appropriations; Dave Sharpe, D-Bristol, Education; Bill Lippert, D-Hinesburg, Health Care; and Maxine Grad, D-Moretown, Judiciary.

While there are familiar faces in each committee, many members were moved from one to another. Smith says he consulted with the representatives and the chairs and tried to get members on the committees they preferred, although he also considered members' experience and the party composition of committees. The personalities are also a factor, and that's why the process is sometimes compared to seating relatives at a wedding reception.

Here are the committee assignments for the biennium.

Agriculture & Forest Products

Rep. Carolyn W. Partridge, Chair
Rep. Richard Lawrence, Vice Chair
Rep. John L. Bartholomew, Ranking Member
Rep. Dan Connor
Rep. Alyson Eastman
Rep. Rodney Graham
Rep. Joey Purvis
Rep. Marjorie Ryerson
Rep. Harvey Smith
Rep. Don Turner
Rep. Teo Zagar

Appropriations

Rep. Mitzi Johnson, Chair
Rep. Peter J. Fagan, Vice Chair
Rep. Kathleen C. Keenan, Ranking Member
Rep. Bob Helm
Rep. Marty Feltus
Rep. Mary S. Hooper
Rep. Diane Lanpher
Rep. Anne Theresa O'Brien
Rep. Albert "Chuck" Pearce
Rep. Kitty Beattie Toll
Rep. Matthew Trieber

Commerce & Economic Development

Rep. Bill Botzow, Chair
Rep. Michael Marcotte, Vice Chair
Rep. Warren F. Kitzmiller, Ranking Member
Rep. Fred Baser
Rep. Steve Carr
Rep. Maureen Dakin
Rep. Jean O'Sullivan
Rep. Corey Parent
Rep. Heidi E. Scheuermann
Rep. Laura Sibilia
Rep. Valerie A. Stuart

Corrections & Institutions

Rep. Alice M. Emmons, Chair
Rep. Linda K. Myers, Vice Chair
Rep. Joan G. Lenes, Ranking Member
Rep. Lynn Batchelor
Rep. Cynthia Browning
Rep. Susan Davis
Rep. Eileen "Lynn" Dickinson
Rep. Rachael Fields
Rep. Terry Macaig
Rep. Butch Shaw
Rep. Tristan Toleno

Education

Rep. Dave Sharpe, Chair
Rep. Bernie Juskiewicz, Vice Chair
Rep. Kevin "Coach" Christie, Ranking Member
Rep. Scott Beck
Rep. Sarah E. Buxton
Rep. Larry Cupoli
Rep. Tim Jerman
Rep. Emily Long
Rep. Ann Manwaring
Rep. Alice Miller
Rep. Kurt Wright

Fish, Wildlife & Water Resources

Rep. David L. Deen, Chair
Rep. Jim McCullough, Vice Chair
Rep. Steve Beyor, Ranking Member
Rep. Bob Krebs
Rep. Paul Lefebvre
Rep. Amy Sheldon
Rep. Thomas Terenzini
Rep. Kate Webb
Rep. Janssen Willhoit

General, Housing & Military Affairs

Rep. Helen Head, Chair
Rep. Tom Stevens, Vice Chair
Rep. Brian K. Savage, Ranking Member
Rep. Diana Gonzalez
Rep. Gabrielle Lucke
Rep. Mary A. Morrissey
Rep. Job Tate
Rep. Tommy Walz

Government Operations

Rep. Donna Sweaney, Chair
Rep. Debbie Evans, Vice Chair
Rep. Dennis J. Devereux, Ranking Member
Rep. Joanna Cole
Rep. Sarah Copeland-Hanzas
Rep. Mark Higley
Rep. Ronald E. Hubert
Rep. Rob LaClair
Rep. Patti J. Lewis
Rep. Linda J. Martin
Rep. Maida Townsend

Health Care

Rep. William J. Lippert, Chair
Rep. Christopher Pearson, Vice Chair
Rep. Anne B. Donahue, Ranking Member
Rep. Robert Bancroft
Rep. Timothy Briglin
Rep. Leigh Dakin
Rep. Doug Gage
Rep. Kiah Morris
Rep. Avram Patt
Rep. Paul N. Poirier
Rep. Mark Woodward

Human Services

Rep. Ann Pugh, Chair
Rep. Sandy Haas, Vice Chair
Rep. Francis "Topper" McFaun, Ranking Member
Rep. Steven Berry
Rep. Paul Dame
Rep. Larry Fiske
Rep. Patsy French
Rep. Jill Krowinski
Rep. Patricia McCoy
Rep. Michael Mrowicki
Rep. Chip Troiano

Judiciary

Rep. Maxine Jo Grad, Chair
Rep. Willem Jewett, Vice Chair
Rep. Tom Burditt, Ranking Member
Rep. Chip Conquest
Rep. Bill Frank
Rep. Martin LaLonde
Rep. Marcia Martel
Rep. Betty A. Nuovo
Rep. Barbara Rachelson
Rep. Vicki Strong
Rep. Gary Viens

Natural Resources & Energy

Rep. Tony Klein, Chair
Rep. Rebecca Ellis, Vice Chair
Rep. Michael Hebert
Rep. Robin Chesnut-Tangerman
Rep. Robert Forguites
Rep. Marianna Gamache
Rep. Oliver Olsen
Rep. Kesha K. Ram
Rep. Mary Sullivan
Rep. Warren Van Wyck
Rep. Mike Yantachka

Transportation

Rep. Patrick Brennan, Chair
Rep. Dave Potter, Vice Chair
Rep. Timothy R. Corcoran, Ranking Member
Rep. Clem Bissonnette
Rep. Mollie S. Burke
Rep. Mark Huntley
Rep. Curt McCormack
Rep. Barbara Murphy
Rep. Connie Quimby
Rep. Herb Russell
Rep. Loren Shaw

Ways & Means

Rep. Janet Ancel, Chair
Rep. Carolyn Whitney Branagan, Vice Chair
Rep. Johannah Leddy Donovan, Ranking Member
Rep. Bill Canfield
Rep. Alison H. Clarkson
Rep. Jim Condon
Rep. Adam Greshin
Rep. Patti Komline
Rep. Jim Masland
Rep. George W. Till
Rep. Sam Young