Committee assignments put area legislators in key positions

Dec. 14—A slew of state legislative committee appointments during the past week again have state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, and state Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, among key lawmakers controlling the state's purse strings.

Osten has been re-named chair, by state Senate Democratic leadership, of the Appropriations Committee, while Cheeseman has been reappointed as a ranking member of the Finance Committee by Republican House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford.

Both members will have a lot to say about the state's spending and its taxes, with Osten in particular playing a role in past years as one of the most influential state legislators in terms of securing funding for projects in her district and the surrounding area. During last year's legislative session, she listed 30-40 examples of local investments included in the budget.

"I was very proud of the fiscal discipline we championed in 2017 and have maintained, which included a new volatility cap, a state spending cap, a revenue cap, and a bonding cap," Cheeseman said in a news release. "I look forward to continuing to work with committee members and leadership, and the governor's administration, to craft responsible and prudent fiscal policy."

She added that with inflation, the state has profited from increased revenues, so she will prioritize "giving some of that overtaxed money back to...working families."

In the Senate, Osten was also named vice chair of Public Safety and Security. Newcomer Martha Marx, D-New London, has been named the Senate's Veterans' Affairs Chair by Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. Marx, a nurse, has also been named Vice Chair of the Public Health Committee.

"Our veterans have worked hard and made sacrifices for our country and our state, and they deserve our utmost respect. I cannot wait to bring about positive change for them," Marx said in a news release. "Public health has never been more important, and our state needs to move forward for the benefit of all of our health."

State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, has been reappointed to Chair of Energy and Technology; he will also be Vice Chair of Planning & Development.

"With the momentum provided us by the Take Back Our Grid Act, bills supporting data center development and stronger access to broadband internet and continued focus on energy costs and technology advancements in our state, I'm encouraged by the prospects of another two years chairing this committee," Needleman said of Energy and Technology. "I am also looking forward to working with my colleagues on the Planning and Development Committee regarding the future of our towns."

In the state House, state Rep. Kathleen McCarty, R-Waterford, will again be the Republican ranking member on the Education Committee and state Rep. Greg Howard, R-Stonington, a police detective, has been reappointed to ranking member on the Public Safety Committee.

Marx's House Democratic counterpart on Veterans' Affairs will be state Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London. State Rep. Christine Conley, D-Groton, will be the House Democratic chair of the Screening Committee.

s.spinella@theday.com