Two Senate committees expected to play a central role in this year's major policy overhauls got new leadership Friday when the Senate Committee on Committees (which is an actual thing) appointed committees for the upcoming biennium.
Sen. Christopher Bray (D - Addison) is the new chairman of Senate Natural Resources and Energy, which will play a vital role in Gov. Peter Shumlin's initiative to clean up Lake Champlain. Shumlin promised in his inaugural address to take on water pollution issues by cracking down on polluting farms and devoting new resources to help farms working to reduce water pollution.
Bray will replace Bennington Sen. Bob Hartwell, who did not run for reelection last year. Hartwell publicly doubted the fact that climate change is caused by human behavior during his time in the Natural Resources and Energy committee's top spot.
Bray, for his part, has been a voice of moderation in the ongoing discussion about the controversial Vermont Gas Systems pipeline that's planned to bring natural gas service to a paper mill in Ticonderoga, N.Y. and then south to Rutland.
Bray has urged regulators to do their due diligence in the review process for the planned pipeline.
In another shift, Sen. Ann Cummings (D - Washington) replaced Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) as the head of the Senate Education committee. That group will be faced with what's expected to be an overhaul of the state's education financing system. Cummings has previously served as chairwoman of the Senate Finance committee.
McCormack, who was skeptical about school consolidation in his role as education chairman, was moved to committees on Appropriations and Health and Welfare.
For a full list of Senate committee appointments, click here to go to the legislative website.
