California Senate announces committee chairmanships

Sen. Ricardo Lara has landed one of the most powerful committee chair assignments in the California Legislature, overseeing the Senate Appropriations Committee that decides the fate of hundreds of bills each year.

Lara, a Bell Gardens Democrat, is closely allied with the Senate’s new leader, Kevin de León, who announced the committee chairmanships on Wednesday. Other key assignments include Sen. Bob Hertzberg – who has said he is interested in tax reform – landing the governance and finance chairmanship, and Sen. Mark Leno maintaining his position as chair of the Senate’s budget committee. A complete list of chairmanships is below:

Agriculture: Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton

Appropriations: Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens

Banking and Financial Institutions: Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego

Budget and Fiscal Review: Senator Mark Leno, D-San Francisco

• Budget Subcommittee #1 – Education: Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego
• Budget Subcommittee #2 - Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy and Transportation: Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis
• Budget Subcommittee #3 - Health & Human Services: Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, D-Los Angeles
• Budget Subcommittee #4 - State Administration and General Government: Sen. Richard D. Roth, D-Riverside
• Budget Subcommittee #5 – Corrections, Public Safety and the Judiciary: Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley

Business, Professions and Economic Development: Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo

Education: Sen. Carol Liu, D-LaCañada/Flintridge

Elections and Constitutional Amendments: Sen. Benjamin Allen, D-Santa Monica

Energy, Utilities and Communications: Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego

Environmental Quality: Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont

Governance and Finance: Sen. Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys

Governmental Organization: Sen. Isadore Hall III, D-South Bay

Health: Sen. Ed Hernandez, O.D., D-West Covina

Human Services: Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg

Insurance: Sen. Richard D. Roth, D-Riverside

Judiciary: Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara

Labor and Industrial Relations: Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia

Legislative Ethics: Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel

Natural Resources and Water: Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills

Public Employment and Retirement: Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento

Public Safety: Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley

Transportation and Housing: Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose

Veterans Affairs: Vacant

Joint Committee on Arts: Sen. Benjamin Allen, D-Santa Monica

Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture: Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg

Joint Legislative Budget: Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco

De León also announced his leadership team:

Majority Leader: Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel

Majority Whip: Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis

Democratic Caucus Chair: Sen. Connie M. Leyva, D-Chino

Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair: Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg

This story was originally published December 17, 2014 at 2:29 PM.