6:30
News Story
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
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
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.