3 Valley lawmakers get ranking committee posts

YOUNGSTOWN

Three Ohio House Democrats who represent the Mahoning Valley were named 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Read more about the appointments in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.