Valley’s state senators get assignments

By Marc Kovac | January 10, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

Mahoning Valley lawmakers will focus on budget, agriculture, energy, economic development and other issues in the coming legislative session, under committee assignments announced late Wednesday by the Ohio Senate.

Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, secured a spot on the powerful Senate Finance committee, which will tackle state spending plans for the next two fiscal years.

Schiavoni and Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd, also have seats on finance subcommittees, which will focus on specific budget areas. Schiavoni is the ranking minority member on the finance subcommittee on general governments, while Cafaro is ranking minority member on the Medicaid subcommittee.

Schiavoni also is ranking minority member on the Energy and Natural Resources and Criminal Justice committees and has seats on the chamber’s education, work force and economic development, commerce and labor, rules and reference committees.

Cafaro is ranking minority member on the Transportation and Medicaid, Health and Human Services committees. She also will serve on the agriculture, energy and natural resources, public utilities and ways and means committees.

The Ohio House has not yet announced its committee structures or membership.

The legislative committees generally are the first stop for law changes being considered in the chambers, often with multiple public hearings scheduled before final floor votes.