House Speaker-elect J.D. Mesnard has announced the Republican slate of committee assignments for the upcoming legislative session to begin in January.
Mesnard also announced Representative T.J. Shope as the Speaker Pro-Tempore, a spot which will make him Mesnard's right hand man and de-facto second in command.
A couple of highlights in Menards appointments include Rep. Anthony Kern as chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and Rep. Eddie Farnsworth as chair of the Ethics Committee. Michelle Udall earned a spot as a member of the Education Committee and Phil Lovas was named chairman of the powerful Rules Committee.
In a somewhat vindictive move, Mesnard denied Rep. Darin Mitchell a chairmanship even after Mitchell pulled out of the Spekaers race allowing Mesnard to secure it, appointing him instead as a member of the Committee of Commerce.
While Democrat Minority Leader Rebecca Rios is expected to announces the Democrat assignments, the committee assignments for the Republicans are as follows:
| Committee on Appropriations Rep. Shooter, Chair Rep. Livingston, Vice Chair Rep. Bowers Rep. Carter Rep. Cobb Rep. Leach Rep. Norgaard Rep. Rivero Rep. Ugenti-Rita | Sub-Committee on Appropriations—Education Rep. Norgaard, Chair Rep. Heather Carter, Vice Chair Sub-Committee on Appropriations—Public Safety, Infrastructure & Resources Rep. Leach, Chair Rep. Livingston, Vice Chair Subcommittee on Appropriations—Health & Welfare Rep. Regina Cobb, Chair Rep. Tony Rivero, Vice Chair |
| Committee on Rules Rep. Phil Lovas, Chair Rep. Paul Boyer, Vice Chair Rep. John Allen Rep. Eddie Farnsworth Rep. TJ Shope Rep. Kelly Townsend | Committee on Ways & Means Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, Chair Rep. Leach, Vice Chair Rep. Kern Rep. Lawrence Rep. Payne Rep. Weninger |
| Committee on Banking & Insurance Rep. David Livingston, Chair Rep. Farnsworth, Vice Chair Rep. Lovas Rep. Paul Mosley Rep. Jeff Weninger | Committee on Military, Veterans & Regulatory Affairs Rep. Jay Lawrence, Chair Rep. Mark Finchem, Vice Chair Rep. Noel Campbell Rep. Travis Grantham Rep. Anthony Kern |
| Committee on Judiciary & Public Safety Rep. Farnsworth, Chair Rep. Kern, Vice Chair Rep. Boyer Rep. Finchem Rep. Stringer Rep. Syms | Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Rep. Campbell, Chair Rep. John, Vice Chair Rep. Cook Rep. Mosley Rep. Payne |
| Committee on Commerce Rep. Weninger, Chair Rep. Norgaard, Vice Chair Rep. Todd Clodfelter Rep. Darin Mitchell Rep. Shope Rep. Maria Syms | Committee on Federalism, Property Rights & Public Policy Rep. Bob Thorpe, Chair Rep. Finchem, Vice Chair Rep. Campbell Rep. Grantham Rep. Kevin Payne Rep. Stringer |
| Committee on Education Rep. Boyer, Chair Rep. Coleman, Vice Chair Rep. Rusty Bowers Rep. Jill Norgaard Rep. Becky Nutt Rep. Don Shooter Rep. David Stringer Rep. Michelle Udall | Committee on Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Rep. Bowers, Chair Rep. Brenda Barton, Vice Chair Rep. Cook Rep. Vince Leach Rep. Mosley Rep. Udall |
| Committee on Local & International Affairs Rep. Rivero, Chair Rep. Clodfelter, Vice Chair Rep. Drew John Rep. Nutt | Committee on Health Rep. Carter, Chair Rep. Cobb, Vice Chair Rep. Lawrence Rep. Rivero Rep. Syms Rep. Udall |
| Committee on Government Rep. Coleman, Chair Rep. Thorpe, Vice Chair Rep. Clodfelter Rep. John Rep. Ugenti-Rita | Committee on Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Rep. Barton, Chair Rep. Mitchell, Vice Chair Rep. Cook Rep. Grantham Rep. Nutt |
Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) has introduced a bill to address the healthcare provider shortage by…
Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is celebrating the House Judiciary Committee's passage of his resolution to…
A group of House lawmakers wants to make it illegal for former members of Congress…
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) wrote a letter to Acting Comptroller of the Government Accountability Office…
As the Trump administration moved forward Friday with a lease sale opening Alaska's Arctic National…
A photograph of Representative Anna Abeytia (D-AZ) working while cradling her newborn child became the…