Three of the Vermont Senate’s standing committees have new chairs this year, according to a roster released Thursday by Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden.
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden Southeast, will lead the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs; Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, will lead the Senate Government Operations Committee; and Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex, will lead the Senate Institutions Committee.
Senate committee assignments are made by a three-member panel called the Committee on Committees, which this biennium includes Baruth, Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and Sen. Dick Mazza, D-Grand Isle. (In the Vermont House, committee assignments are made unilaterally by Speaker Jill Krowinski.)
While there was significant turnover in Senate ranks this year — 10 of 30 senators are new — there were fewer departures among committee chairs than in the House.
Notably, six first-term senators were appointed vice chairs of committees: Sen. Martine Gulick, D-Chittenden Central, to the Education Committee; Sen. David Weeks, R-Rutland, to the Health & Welfare Committee; Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Chittenden Central, to the Government Operations Committee; Sen. Wendy Harrison, D-Windham, to the Institutions Committee; Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windham, to the Judiciary Committee; and Sen. Anne Watson, D/P-Washington, to the Natural Resources and Energy Committee.Â
This session continues a years-long streak in which all of the Legislature’s four powerful money committees — those in charge of taxing and spending state dollars — are chaired by women: Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, retained her position as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington, remains chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
They are joined this year by Rep. Diane Lanpher, D-Vergennes, who was named chair of the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, and Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, who is now chair of the House Ways & Means Committee.
Here’s who will chair the Senate’s money and policy committees (newly named chairs are in bold):
- Agriculture: Sen. Bobby Starr, D-Orleans;
- Appropriations: Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia;
- Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs: Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden Southeast;
- Education: Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington;
- Finance: Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington;
- Government Operations: Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison;
- Health and Welfare: Sen. Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden Southeast;
- Institutions: Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex;
- Judiciary: Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington;
- Natural Resources: Sen. Chris Bray, D-Addison;
- Transportation: Sen. Dick Mazza, D-Grand Isle
See the full roster of committee members here.
Correction: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misstated Sen. Anne Watson’s party affiliation.