Senate Democrats announce committee chairs, assignments

Democrats, who hold a 26-24 majority in the Iowa Senate, have announced their committee assignments for the 2011 session.

“The most important thing the Legislature can do during the 2011 session is to invest in Iowans and strengthen Iowa's economy,” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs. “We will continue what's working, such as building Iowa's renewable energy economy, and fix what needs fixing, such as shifting the focus of tax credits from helping Wall Street businesses to helping Iowa's Main Street businesses instead.”

Here are the committee chairs:

Standing Commitees

• Agriculture --  Sen. Joe Seng of Davenport
• Commerce – Sen. Swati Dandekar of Marion
• Economic Growth/Rebuild Iowa -Sen. Steve Sodders of State Center
• Education – Sen. Herman Quirmbach of Ames
• Labor – Sen. Wally Horn of Cedar Rapids
• State Government-Sen. Jeff Danielson of Waterloo
• Transportation – Sen. Tom Rielly of Oskaloosa
• Ways & Means – Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City

Budget Subcommittees

• Agriculture/Natural Resources – Sen. Dennis Black of rural Grinnell
• Economic Development – Sen. Bill Dotzler of Waterloo
• Education – Sen. Brian Schoenjahn of Arlington
• Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals – Sen. Matt McCoy of Des Moines

Here are the committee assignments for Eastern Iowa senators:

Bolkcom:  Standing:  Appropriations, Commerce, Human Resources, Natural Resource & Environment, Ways & Means -Chair

Budget Sub: Health & Human Services

Dandekar: Standing: Commerce –Chair, Economic Growth, Ethics, Transportation, Ways and Means,

Budget Sub: Economic Development –Vice Chair

Dvorsky: Standing:  Appropriations -Chair, Education, Human Resources, Judiciary, Rules & Administration

Budget Sub: Transportation/Infrastructure

Tom Hancock, Epworth: Standing: Agriculture, Appropriations, Judiciary, Natural Resources & Environment, Transportation,

Budget Sub: Justice Systems -Chair

Hogg: Standing:  Appropriations, Education, Judiciary –Vice Chair, Natural Resources & Environment, Ways & Means

Budget Sub: Justice Systems

Horn: Standing:  Economic Growth, Labor -Chair, Judiciary, State Government, Veteran Affairs

Budget Sub: Education,

Schoenjahn Standing: Appropriations, Commerce, Education –Vice Chair, Local Government, Natural Resources,

Budget Sub: Education -Chair

Mary Jol Wilhelm, Cresco: Standing:  Commerce, Education Economic Growth, Human Resources –Vice Chair, Local Government –Chair,

Budget Sub: Ag & Natural Resources