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DENVER, CO– Speaker-designate Alec Garnett today announced the chairs, vice chairs and committee appointments for the 11 House committees of reference, appointing seven new committee chairs. Of the 22 members in committee leadership, 13 are women.
Rep. Jeni James Arndt, D-Fort Collins, will chair the Agriculture, Livestock and Water committee, formerly known as the Rural Affairs and Agriculture committee, and veterinarian Rep.-elect Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, will be the vice chair.
“Agriculture, livestock and water have always been the lifeblood of our state, supporting jobs in every county in Colorado,” said Rep. Jeni James Arndt, D-Fort Collins. “We must ensure that our farmers and ranchers have the tools and resources they need to get through the pandemic and reemerge stronger. Our precious water resources require careful stewardship as we move into a water-short future.”
Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, will chair the Business Affairs and Labor committee, and Rep. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, will be the vice chair.
“Colorado’s businesses and workers are the backbone of our economy, and we know they are struggling right now as COVID-19 spreads at dangerous rates and Congress refuses to help,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “In Colorado, we are going to support our businesses and prioritize the safety and health of our workers to help our state get through this crisis and build back stronger.”
Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver, will chair the Energy and Environment committee, and Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder, will be the vice chair.
“We have a responsibility to protect our air and water, as climate change and worsening wildfires threaten our Colorado way of life,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “In Colorado, we’ve made tremendous progress. We’re going to continue fighting for the environmental justice our communities deserve and to secure our planet for future generations.”
Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, will chair the Finance committee, and Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs, will be the vice chair.
“We have a long road ahead to recover from this pandemic,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “A necessary part of our recovery is ensuring that small businesses and hardworking families get through these challenging months and bounce back stronger. We will do this by ensuring that our policies are smart, common sense and fiscally responsible.”
Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, will chair the Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services committee, formerly called the Public Health and Human Services Committee, and Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, will be the vice chair.
“As a longtime champion of access to behavioral health, it breaks my heart to see how hard this pandemic has been on adults as well as children across our state,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “To build back stronger, we must ensure that every Coloradan has access to the mental and physical health care and support services they need to recover.”
Rep. Tony Exum, Sr., D-Colorado Springs, will chair the Transportation & Local Government committee, and Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, will be the vice chair.
“Our local governments are on the frontlines responding to this pandemic, providing testing, health care, and so many other critical services,” said Rep. Tony Exum, Sr., D-Colorado Springs. “To boost our economy, we have to work together in a bipartisan way to improve our transportation infrastructure and invest in our state’s future. It is an honor to chair this committee, and I look forward to working with Colorado’s cities, counties and towns to help our state get through this crisis. ”
Following the precedent in which the members of the Joint Budget Committee are appointed to lead the Appropriations committee, Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, will be the Appropriations committee chair and Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, will be the vice chair. Rep. McCluskie will continue to serve as vice chair of the Joint Budget Committee and will chair that committee in the second year of the 73rd General Assembly. All seven majority lawmakers on the Appropriations committee are women.
“With so many hardworking families and small businesses just barely hanging on, I know we have a lot of work ahead to help our state recover from this pandemic and build back stronger,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “We’re going to have to make a lot of tough decisions due to our state’s limited budget, but I’m excited to see the legislation lawmakers are going to bring forward to help all Coloradans, especially those disproportionately impacted by this pandemic, make ends meet and have a fair shot to succeed as our economy recovers.”
Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, will continue to chair the Education committee, and Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley, will be the vice chair. Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver, will continue to chair the Health and Insurance committee, and Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, will continue to serve as vice chair. Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, will continue to chair the Judiciary committee, and Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood, will be the vice chair. Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood, will continue to chair the newly named State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs committee, and Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver, will be the vice chair.
Committee structure, leadership and majority caucus appointments are made by the Speaker.
“House Democrats are humbled by the trust Coloradans have placed in us as we continue to govern responsibly through the worst public health and economic crisis our nation has seen in recent memory,” said Speaker-designate Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “Our committee leadership reflects the diverse voices of all our communities. Together, we’re going to help Colorado build back stronger by forging an economic recovery where everyone has a fair shot to succeed and no one is left behind.”
The complete list of Majority committee assignments is below:
Agriculture, Livestock, and Water Committee (7-4)
Chair, Rep. Jeni Arndt, D-Fort Collins
Vice Chair, Rep.-elect Karen McCormick, D-Longmont
Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County
Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver
Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango
Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon
Rep. Donald Valdez, D-La Jara
Appropriations Committee (7-4)
Chair, Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver
Vice Chair, Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon
Rep.-elect Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada
Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge
Rep.-elect Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora
Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins
Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood
Business Affairs and Labor Committee (8-5)
Chair, Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon
Vice Chair, Rep. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial
Rep.-elect Judy Amabile, D-Boulder
Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster
Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge
Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Northglenn
Rep.-elect Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora
Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs
Education Committee (6-3)
Chair, Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango
Vice Chair, Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley
Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton
Rep. Tony Exum, Sr., D-Colorado Springs
Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins
Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City
Energy and Environment Committee (8-5)
Chair, Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver
Vice Chair, Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder
Rep.-elect Tracey Bernett, D-Longmont
Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood
Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora
Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver
Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada
Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora
Finance Committee (7-4)
Chair, Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster
Vice Chair, Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs
Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Adams County
Rep.-elect Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada
Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver
Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield
Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins
Health and Insurance Committee (8-5)
Chair, Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver
Vice Chair, Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton
Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora
Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood
Rep.-elect Karen McCormick, D-Longmont
Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Northglenn
Rep.-elect David Ortiz, D-Littleton
Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada
Judiciary Committee (7-4)
Chair, Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora
Vice Chair, Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood
Rep.-elect Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver
Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Adams County
Rep.-elect Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada
Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon
Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver
Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee (8-5)
Chair, Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City
Vice Chair, Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver
Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County
Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver
Rep.-elect Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora
Rep.-elect David Ortiz, D-Littleton
Rep.-elect Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora
Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley
State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee (7-4)
Chair, Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood
Vice Chair, Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver
Rep.-elect Judy Amabile, D-Boulder
Rep.-elect Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver
Rep.-elect Tracey Bernett, D-Longmont
Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge
Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver
Transportation and Local Government Committee (7-4)
Chair, Rep. Tony Exum, Sr., D-Colorado Springs
Vice Chair, Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield
Rep. Jeni Arndt, D-Fort Collins
Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood
Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder
Rep. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial
Rep. Donald Valdez, D-La Jara