click to enlarge Vermont Senate leaders on Friday appointed Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington) to lead the Senate Education Committee and Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison) to head the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee.
Previous chairs of the Senate's nine other standing committees will stay put in the biennium that began Wednesday.
The decisions were handed down Friday afternoon by the three-member Committee on Committees, which consists of Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell (D-Windsor) and Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle).
Cummings replaces Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) on a committee that is expected to be particularly active this year, as the House and Senate work to rejigger the way Vermonters pay for their schools. A former longtime chair of the Senate Finance Committee, she was stripped of her leadership role two years ago after challenging Campbell for pro tem.
Bray replaces former senator Bob Hartwell, a Bennington County Democrat who retired last year after a rocky tenure as chairman. Environmental advocates criticized him for comments he made questioning humans' contribution to climate change.
Both Cummings and Bray are generally seen as moderate Democrats, equally able to work with Republicans as with Progressives.
The Committee on Committees also shuffled other committee assignments. For a full list, see below:
Agriculture
Sen. Bobby Starr (D-Essex-Orleans), Chair
Sen. David Zuckerman (P-Chittenden), Vice Chair
Sen. John Campbell (D-Windsor)
Sen. Norm McAllister (R-Franklin)
Sen. Michael Sirotkin (D-Chittenden)
Economic Development
Sen. Kevin Mullin (R-Rutland), Chair
Sen. Philip Baruth (D-Chittenden), Vice Chair
Sen. Bill Doyle (R-Washington)
Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington)
Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham)
Health & Welfare
Sen. Claire Ayer (D-Addison), Chair
Sen. Ginny Lyons (D-Chittenden), Vice Chair
Sen. Anthony Pollina (P/D-Washington)
Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor)
Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland)
Judiciary
Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), Chair
Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia), Vice Chair
Sen. Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden)
Sen. Jeanette White (D-Windham)
Sen. Alice Nitka (D-Windsor)
Natural Resources
Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison), Chair
Sen. Diane Snelling (R-Chittenden), Vice Chair
Sen. Mark MacDonald (D-Orange)
Sen. John Rodgers (D-Essex-Orleans)
Sen. Brian Campion (D-Bennington)
Transportation
Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle), Chair
Sen. Rich Westman (R-Lamoille), Vice Chair
Sen. Peg Flory (R-Rutland)
Sen. Jane Kitchel (D-Caledonia)
Sen. Dustin Degree (R-Franklin)
Appropriations
Sen. Jane Kitchel (D-Caledonia), Chair
Sen. Alice Nitka (D-Windsor), Vice Chair
Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor)
Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington)
Sen. Diane Snelling (R-Chittenden)
Sen. Bobby Starr (D-Essex-Orleans)
Sen. John Campbell (D-Windsor)
Education
Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington), Chair
Sen. Bill Doyle (R-Washington), Vice Chair
Sen. Philip Baruth (D-Chittenden)
Sen. David Zuckerman (P-Chittenden)
Sen. Brian Campion (D-Bennington)
Sen. Dustin Degree (R-Franklin)
Finance
Sen. Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden), Chair
Sen. Mark MacDonald (D-Orange), Vice Chair
Sen. Ginny Lyons (D-Chittenden)
Sen. Kevin Mullin (R-Rutland)
Sen. Claire Ayer (D-Addison)
Sen. Rich Westman (R-Lamoille)
Sen. Michael Sirotkin (D-Chittenden)
Government Operations
Sen. Jeanette White (D-Windham), Chair
Sen. Anthony Pollina (P/D-Washington), Vice Chair
Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison)
Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia)
Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland)
Institutions
Sen. Peg Flory (R-Rutland), Chair
Sen. John Rodgers (D-Essex-Orleans), Vice Chair
Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle)
Sen. Norm McAllister (R-Franklin)
Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham)