By Tom Precious
ALBANY – Below is the list of Assembly leadership and committee chairs selected today by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for the new two-year legislative session.
Due mostly to the seniority-driven system in the chamber, Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, a Kenmore Democrat, continues to be the only Western New York member of the Assembly to chair a standing committee; he keeps his longstanding post as chairman of economic development, which gives him a $18,000 annual stipend beyond his base pay of $79,500.
Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes moves up a couple notches in the leadership title race to chair of the majority conference. She now will get a $16,500 stipend for that post, up from $11,000 she had been making as secretary of the majority conference. (Correction: her previous stipend was $12,500 as chair of the farm, food and nutrition task force.)
Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak, a Cheektowaga Democrat who represents a heavily suburban district, was named to head the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources; his stipend was not immediately clear this afternoon in a reading of a provision of state law pertaining to extra pay for legislators in certain posts. (Update: His stipend will be $12,500 annually.)
New committee chairs include Kevin Cahill, a Mid-Hudson Valley Democrat, of the Insurance Committee; Keith Wright, a Harlem Democrat, on the Housing Committee; Amy Paulin, a Westchester County Democrat, to the Energy Committee; Aileen Gunther, a Mid-Hudson Valley Democrat, to the Mental Health Committee, Charles Lavine, a Long Island Democrat, to the Ethics Committee, and Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat and son of former state comptroller, Alan Hevesi, to the Oversight, Analysis and Investigation Committee.
Here is the full list of leadership and committee assignments:
|
Speaker |
Sheldon Silver |
|
Majority Leader |
Joseph D. Morelle |
|
Chair, Ways & Means |
Herman D. Farrell, Jr. |
|
Deputy Speaker |
Earlene Hooper |
|
Assistant Speaker |
Rhoda S. Jacobs |
|
Speaker Pro Tem |
Jeffrion L. Aubry |
|
Chair, Committee on Committees |
Vivian E. Cook |
|
Assistant Speaker Pro Tem |
Harvey Weisenberg |
|
Deputy Majority Leader |
N. Nick Perry |
|
Assistant Majority Leader |
Dov Hikind |
|
Majority Whip |
William Colton |
|
Deputy Majority Whip |
Barbara M. Clark |
|
Assistant Majority Whip |
José Rivera |
|
Chair, Majority Conference |
Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes |
|
Vice Chair, Majority Conference |
Michelle Schimel |
|
Secretary, Majority Conference |
Michael G. DenDekker |
|
Chair, Majority Program |
Carmen E. Arroyo |
|
Chair, Majority Steering |
Barbara S. Lifton |
|
Vice Chair, Majority Steering |
Alec Brook-Krasny |
|
Chair, House Operations |
Alan N. Maisel |
Standing Committees
|
Chair, Aging |
Joan L. Millman |
|
Chair, Agriculture |
William Magee |
|
Chair, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse |
Steven Cymbrowitz |
|
Chair, Banks |
Annette M. Robinson |
|
Chair, Children & Families |
Donna A. Lupardo |
|
Chair, Cities |
Félix W. Ortiz |
|
Chair, Codes |
Joseph R. Lentol |
|
Chair, Consumer Affairs |
Jeffrey Dinowitz |
|
Chair, Corporations, Authorities & Commissions |
James F. Brennan |
|
Chair, Correction |
Daniel J. O'Donnell |
|
Chair, Economic Development |
Robin L. Schimminger |
|
Chair, Education |
Catherine T. Nolan |
|
Chair, Election Law |
Michael Cusick |
|
Chair, Energy |
Amy R. Paulin |
|
Chair, Environmental Conservation |
Robert K. Sweeney |
|
Chair, Ethics & Guidance |
Charles D. Lavine |
|
Chair, Governmental Employees |
Peter J. Abbate, Jr. |
|
Chair, Governmental Operations |
Steve Englebright |
|
Chair, Health |
Richard N. Gottfried |
|
Chair, Higher Education |
Deborah J. Glick |
|
Chair, Housing |
Keith L.T. Wright |
|
Chair, Insurance |
Kevin A. Cahill |
|
Chair, Judiciary |
Helene E. Weinstein |
|
Chair, Labor |
Carl E. Heastie |
|
Chair, Libraries & Education Technology |
Micah Z. Kellner |
|
Chair, Local Governments |
William B. Magnarelli |
|
Chair, Mental Health |
Aileen M. Gunther |
|
Chair, Oversight, Analysis & Investigation |
Andrew D. Hevesi |
|
Chair, Racing & Wagering |
J. Gary Pretlow |
|
Chair, Real Property Taxation |
Sandra R. Galef |
|
Chair, Small Business |
William Scarborough |
|
Chair, Social Services |
Michele R. Titus |
|
Chair, Tourism |
Margaret M. Markey |
|
Chair, Transportation |
David F. Gantt |
|
Chair, Veterans' Affairs |
Michael R. Benedetto |
Task Forces & Legislative Commissions
|
Chair, Administrative Regulations Review |
Kenneth P. Zebrowski |
|
Chair, Farm, Food & Nutrition |
Ellen C. Jaffee |
|
Chair, Government Administration |
Brian Kavanagh |
|
Chair, New Americans |
Nelson L. Castro |
|
Chair, Reapportionment |
Phil Ramos |
|
Chair, Rural Resources |
Dennis H. Gabryszak |
|
Chair, Science & Technology |
Linda B. Rosenthal |
|
Chair, Skills Development & Career Education |
Karim Camara |
|
Chair, State-Federal Relations |
Matthew J. Titone |
|
Chair, Women's Issues |
Addie J. Russell |
|
|
|
