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Valley legislators appointed as ranking Dems to state House, Senate committees
YOUNGSTOWN
Three Ohio House Democrats who represent the Mahoning Valley were named as ranking minority members on committees in the state Legislature.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Sean J. O’Brien of Bazetta, D-32nd, serving his first term in the upper legislative body, was selected as the top Democrat on two Senate committees and a finance subcommittee.
The state Democratic legislative officials made the announcements Tuesday in Columbus. In the House, there are 21 committees, and 33 of its 99 members are Democrats. In the Senate, there are 13 standing committees and four subcommittees of the Finance Committee with nine of the 33 members being Democrats.
Because there are so few Democrats in the Senate, O’Brien, a former four-term House member, ended up on five committees and a Finance Committee subcommittee.
O’Brien is the ranking Democrat on Energy and Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committees, as well as the Finance Subcommittee on General Government and Agency Review. He also is a member of the Judiciary, Public Utilities and Transportation, Commerce and Workforce committees.
Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, is the ranking Democrat on the Rules and Reference Committee and a member of the Finance Subcommittee on General Government and Agency Review.
The top Democrat and Republican in the Senate traditionally are the ranking members on Rules and Reference and serve on one committee or none. Senate President Larry Obhof of Medina, R-22nd, serves on Rules and Reference and doesn’t sit on any other committees.
In the House, state Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, was selected as the highest ranking Democrat on the Economic Development, Commerce and Labor Committee.
Hagan, serving her second two-year term in the House, also will serve on the Health, and the Transportation and the Public Safety committees.
State Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th, was chosen as the top Democrat on the House Insurance Committee. Boccieri has all his insurance licenses.
He also was appointed to the Energy and Natural Resources, and the Public Utilities committees.
“I am looking forward to tackling some big issues this General Assembly, like the debate over re-regulating power companies or finding ways to spur alternative energy growth,” Boccieri said.
Boccieri was appointed Sept. 30, 2015, to the House to replace Ronald V. Gerberry, who resigned a month earlier when he was convicted of unlawful compensation of a public official. Boccieri was elected to a full two-year term in November. He also served in the House from 2001 to 2006.
State Rep. Michael O’Brien of Warren, D-64th, serving his second term in the House, was chosen as the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“As state representative, I am committed to working to connect our working men and women with the new economic opportunities in the natural gas and advanced energy industries, while also being mindful of the need to preserve our natural resources for the benefit of our children and grandchildren,” he said.
O’Brien also was selected to serve on the Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development and the State and Local Government committees.
Also, state Rep. Glenn W. Holmes of McDonald, D-63rd, who is serving his first term in the House, will serve on the Insurance, State and Local Government, and Federalism and Interstate Relations Committees.
State Rep. Tim Ginter of Salem, R-5th, serving his second two-year term, was appointed earlier by the GOP House majority as chairman of the Community and Family Advancement Committee. He also is a member of the Government Accountability and Oversight, Health, and Public Utilities committees.