Democrats in the state Senate on Tuesday unveiled their committee chairmanships for the 2021-22 legislative term as the conference now holds a supermajority in the chamber.
Democrats have also created new committees, including one overseeing cities outside of New York City as the party holds multiple seats in upstate cities like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse for the first time in decades. The conference is turning to several first-year Senate lawmakers to lead the new panels.
The Cities Committee for city governments outside of New York City wil be chaired by Sen. Jeremy Cooney of Rochester.
The Senate will also have a newly created committee on libraries to be chaired by Sen. Sean Ryan of Buffalo. Another freshman, Sen. John Mannion, will chair the new Senate Committee on Developmental Disabilities.
And Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick will chair the new Senate Committee on Procurement.
“During our first Session as the new Senate Majority, we held a record number of hearings and used Senate committees to advance our agenda and conduct the people’s work,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said.
“Since the pandemic began, we’ve held hearings on COVID-19 and its impact on New York residential health care facilities and hospitals, workers and small businesses, courts and corrections system, elections, mass transit systems, veterans, and cultural community. As we move forward, the Democratic Majority will utilize our Committees to review important issues and advance legislation that addresses the needs and priorities of New York residents. I thank all of the Committee Chairs for their dedication and I look forward to working with them to build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous New York State.”
Here's the full list of committee chairs:
Committee on Aging: Senator Rachel May
Committee on Agriculture: Senator Michelle Hinchey
Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse: Senator Pete Harckham
Committee on Banks: Senator James Sanders, Jr.
Committee on Budget and Revenue: Senator Brian Benjamin
Committee on Children And Families: Senator Jabari Brisport
Committee on Cities 1 (New York City): Senator Robert Jackson
Committee on Cities 2 (Other NYS Cities): Senator Jeremy Cooney
Committee on Civil Service And Pensions: Senator Andrew Gounardes
Committee on Codes: Senator Jamaal Bailey
Committee on Commerce, Economic Development And Small Business: Senator Anna Kaplan
Committee on Consumer Protection: Senator Kevin Thomas
Committee on Corporations, Authorities And Commissions: Senator Leroy Comrie
Committee on Crime Victims, Crime And Correction: Senator Luis Sepulveda
Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation: Senator Jose Serrano
Committee on Developmental Disabilities: Senator John Mannion
Committee on Education: Senator Shelley Mayer
Committee on Elections: Senator Zellnor Myrie
Committee on Energy And Telecommunications: Senator Kevin Parker
Committee on Environmental Conservation: Senator Todd Kaminsky
Committee on Ethics And Internal Governance: Senator Alessandra Biaggi
Committee on Finance: Senator Liz Krueger
Committee on Health: Senator Gustavo Rivera
Committee on Higher Education: Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
Committee on Housing, Construction And Community Development: Senator Brian Kavanagh
Committee on Insurance: Senator Neil Breslin
Committee on Internet And Technology: Senator Diane Savino
Committee on Investigations And Government Operations: Senator James Skoufis
Committee on Judiciary: Senator Brad Hoylman
Committee on Labor: Senator Jessica Ramos
Committee on Libraries: Senator Sean Ryan
Committee on Local Government: Senator James Gaughran
Committee on Mental Health: Senator Samra Brouk
Committee on New York City Education: Senator John Liu
Committee on Procurement: Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick
Committee on Racing, Gaming And Wagering: Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr.
Committee on Rules: Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Committee on Social Services: Senator Roxanne Persaud
Committee on Transportation: Senator Tim Kennedy
Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs: Senator John Brooks
Committee on Women's Issues: Senator Julia Salazar
The Administrative Regulations Review Commission: Senator Simcha Felder