Senate Announces Committee Structure and Chairs

The 88th session of the Minnesota Legislature convenes on Jan. 8, and the structure of the session is taking shape as the House and Senate have announced their committees and chairs.
(Published )

The Senate will have 11 committees, one subcommittee, six finance divisions, and one tax division, for a total of 19. All spending legislation will be referred to the Finance Committee, which will refer bills to the respective divisions.

All legislation that is passed by a division must also be heard by the Finance Committee before being passed to the full Senate for consideration. The Taxes Committee and Tax Reform Division operate in the same manner.

The Senate will have three more committees in the 2013 session than it had in the 2012 session. The incoming Legislature will add an E-12 Education Finance Division, an Election Subcommittee, and a Tax Reform Division to the committee structure.

The Senate committees and chairs are:

-Rules and Administration—Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook)

-Subcommittee on Elections—Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport)

-Capital Investment—Sen. LeRoy Stumpf (DFL-Plummer)

-Taxes—Sen. Rod Skoe Skoe (DFL-Clearbrook)

-Tax Reform Division—Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope)

-Finance—Sen. Dick Cohen (DFL-St. Paul)

-E-12 Education Finance Division—Sen. Chuck Wiger (DFL-Maplewood)

-Environment, Economic Development & Agriculture Finance Division—David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm)

-Health and Human Services Finance Division—Sen. Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick)

-Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance Division—Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka)

-State Departments and Veterans Finance Division—Sen. Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids)

-Transportation and Public Safety Finance Division—Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis)

-Commerce—Sen. James Metzen (South St. Paul)

-Education—Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (DFL-Minneapolis)

-Environment and Energy—Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville)

-Health, Human Services & Housing—Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL-Mankato)

-Jobs, Agriculture, and Rural Development—Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin)

-Judiciary—Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park)

-State and Local Government—Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL-St. Paul)