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A guide to the gatekeepers: Here’s who’s running the most powerful committees in Harrisburg
Out of the 50 legislative committees in the General Assembly, 41 of them have new majority chairs this year
Pennsylvania Capitol Building on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star).
By Justin Sweitzer
The leaders of state legislative committees have the power to determine whether a bill ultimately makes it to the governor’s desk or languishes in committee until the end of the term. And while rule changes in one chamber will limit the ability of committee chairs to prevent votes on certain bills, committee leaders still hold considerable sway as the gatekeepers standing between a bill and a vote.
Out of the 50 legislative committees in the General Assembly, 41 of them have new majority chairs this year. The shakeup, caused by a combination of lawmaker turnover and a power shift in the state House, has left many committees looking much different than they did last session.
To help you keep tabs on all the changes, City & State has put together a list tracking all the standing committee chairs in Harrisburg.
Committees in the House of Representatives
Aging & Older Adult Services
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Patty Kim
Ranking Republican: Rep. Steven Mentzer
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Gary Day
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski
Ranking Republican: Rep. Dan Moul
Previous majority chair: Moul
Appropriations
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Jordan Harris
Ranking Republican: Rep. Seth Grove
Previous majority chair: Former Rep. Stan Saylor
Children & Youth
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Donna Bullock
Ranking Republican: Rep. Barry Jozwiak
Previous majority chair: Republican Rep. Sheryl Delozier
Commerce
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. John Galloway
Ranking Republican: Rep. Joe Emrick
Previous majority chair: Republican Rep. Brad Roae
Committee on Committees
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Carol Hill Evans
Ranking Republican: Rep. Tina Pickett
Previous majority chair: Rep. Stan Saylor
Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities*
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Robert Matzie
Ranking Republican: Rep. Jim Marshall
Previous majority chair: Marshall
** The committee was known as the House Consumer Affairs Committee last session.
Education
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Peter Schweyer
Ranking Republican: Republican Rep. Jesse Topper
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Curt Sonney
Environmental Resources & Energy
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Greg Vitali
Ranking Republican: Rep. Martin Causer
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe
Ethics*
Chair: Democratic Rep. Donna Bullock
Vice chair: Republican Rep. Kate Klunk
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Todd Stephens
** The House Ethics Committee has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
Finance
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Steve Samuelson
Ranking Republican: Rep. Keith Greiner
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Michael Peifer
Game & Fisheries
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik
Ranking Republican: Rep. David Maloney
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Keith Gillespie
Gaming Oversight
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Patrick Harkins
Ranking Republican: Rep. Russ Diamond
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Susan Helm
Government Oversight
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Morgan Cephas
Ranking Republican: Rep. Aaron Kaufer
Previous majority chair: Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie
Health
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Dan Frankel
Ranking Republican: Rep. Kathy Rapp
Previous majority chair: Rapp
Housing & Community Development*
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Mike Sturla
Ranking Republican: Rep. Rich Irvin
Previous majority chair: Former Rep. and current Republican state Sen. Rosemary Brown
** This was known as the House Urban Affairs Committee last session. And Brown won an election to the 40th state Senate District in November 2022.
Human Services
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Stephen Kinsey
Ranking Republican: Rep. Doyle Heffley
Previous majority chair: Former Rep. and current Republican Sen. Frank Farry*
** Farry won an election to the 6th state Senate District in November 2022.
Insurance
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Kevin Boyle
Ranking Republican: Rep. Tina Pickett
Previous majority chair: Pickett
Judiciary
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Tim Briggs
Ranking Republican: Rep. Rob Kauffman
Previous majority chair: Kauffman
Labor & Industry
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Jason Dawkins
Ranking Republican: Rep. Ryan Mackenzie
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Jim Cox
Liquor Control
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Dan Deasy
Ranking Republican: Rep. Mindy Fee
Previous majority chair: Republican Rep. Carl Walker Matzgar
Local Government
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Robert Freeman
Ranking Republican: Rep. Lee James
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Jerry Knowles
Professional Licensure
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Frank Burns
Ranking Republican: Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. David Hickernell
Rules
Majority chair: House Democratic Leader Matt Bradford
Ranking Republican: House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler
Previous majority chair: former House Republican leader and current Rep. Kerry Benninghoff
State Government
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Scott Conklin
Ranking Republican: Rep. Brad Roae
Previous majority chair: Rep. Seth Grove
Tourism & Recreational Development
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Daley
Ranking Republican: Rep. Donna Oberlander
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. David Millard
Transportation
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Ed Neilson
Ranking Republican: Rep. Kerry Benninghoff
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Tim Hennessey
Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness
Majority chair: Democratic Rep. Jared Solomon
Ranking Republican: Rep. Mark Gillen
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Rep. Karen Boback
Committees in the Senate
Aging & Youth
Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Judy Ward
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Maria Collett
Previous majority chair: Former majority leader and current Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Elder Vogel
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Judy Schwank
Previous majority chair: Vogel
Appropriations
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Scott Martin
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Vincent Hughes
Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Sen., and current acting Revenue Secretary, Pat Browne
Banking & Insurance
Majority chair: Republican Sen. John DiSanto
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Sharif Street
Previous majority chair: DiSanto
Communications & Technology
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Tracy Pennycuick
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Jimmy Dillon
Previous majority chair: Republican Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill
Community, Economic & Recreational Development
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Chris Gebhard
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Anthony H. Williams
Previous majority chair: Former independent state Sen. John Yudichak
Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Patrick Stefano
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Lisa Boscola
Previous majority chair: Former Republican Sen. Robert “Tommy” Tomlinson
Education
Majority chair: Republican Sen. David Argall
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Lindsey Williams
Previous majority chair: Republican Sen. Scott Martin
Environmental Resources & Energy
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Gene Yaw
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Carolyn Comitta
Previous majority chair: Yaw
Finance
Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Scott Hutchinson
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Nick Miller
Previous majority chair: Hutchinson
Game & Fisheries
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Greg Rothman
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Jim Brewster
Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin
Health & Human Services
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Michele Brooks
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Art Haywood
Previous majority chair: Brooks
Intergovernmental Operations
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Jarrett Coleman
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Christine Tartaglione
Previous majority chair: Republican Sen. Cris Dush
Judiciary
Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Lisa Baker
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Steve Santarsiero
Previous majority chair: Baker
Labor & Industry
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Devlin Robinson
Ranking Democrat: Sen. John Kane
Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Camera Bartolotta
Law & Justice
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Mike Regan
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Jim Brewster
Previous majority chair: Regan
Local Government
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Rosemary Brown
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Tim Kearney
Previous majority chair: Republican Sen. Cris Dush
Rules & Executive Nominations
Majority chair: Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman
Ranking Democrat: Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa
Previous majority chair: Ward
State Government
Majority chair: Sen. Cris Dush
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Amanda Cappelletti
Previous majority chair: Sen. David Argall
Transportation
Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Wayne Langerholc
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Marty Flynn
Previous majority chair: Langerholc
Urban Affairs & Housing
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Frank Farry
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Nikil Saval
Previous majority chair: Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman
Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness
Majority chair: Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Katie Muth
Previous majority chair: Republican Sen. Patrick Stefano
Justin Sweitzer is a reporter for City & State Pa., where this story first appeared.
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