Senate, House Announce Committee Leadership Positions

Speaker of the House of Delegate Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, and Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, announced updated rosters today for committee leadership positions prior to the upcoming 2023 regular legislative session.

“Each legislative session is different, and each member brings unique perspectives to the body, so we take a look at our team each session,” Hanshaw said. “We look for the best ways to leverage our collective strengths to assemble the leadership team that will carry out the functional work of the House, to ensure we use our limited time together to continue passing laws that make it easy to simply choose West Virginia, and that’s what we’ve done.”

On the Senate side, Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha and Senate Majority Whip Ryan Weld, R-Brooke will continue in their roles as will Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, who remains chair of the Finance Committee and Sen Charles Trump, R-Morgan, continues as Judiciary Committee chair.

Sen. Jack Woodrum, R-Summers, will now chair the Government Organization Committee, Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, moves from Government Organization to chair a new Outdoor Recreation Committee.

Blair has also combined Agriculture and Natural Resources, which used to be separate, with Sen. Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur as chair.

This will also be the first legislative session for the new Alternative Education Committee, with former Education Committee leader Sen. Patricia Rucker as chair. President Blair has stated on several occasions there will be an emphasis in the future on enhancing both public and alternative education.

On the House side, long-time Finance Committee Chairman Eric Householder, R-Berkeley, will serve as House Majority Leader. Householder will be assisted in that role by Dels. David Kelly, R-Tyler, Dean Jeffries, R-Kanawha, and Laura Kimble, R-Harrison, all serving as Assistant Majority Leaders.

Del. Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer, will serve as Majority Whip. Dels. Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, and Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, will serve as his Deputy Whips. Del. Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, will take on the new role of Speaker Pro Tempore.

Del. Matt Rohrbach, R-Cabell, will fill the newly created senior leadership role of Deputy Speaker, to assist Speaker Hanshaw and the Majority Leader with advancing caucus priorities as well as serving as a liaison for the House with the Senate and the executive branch.

Rohrbach also will continue to serve as chairman of the House Republican Legislative Committee, the political arm of the House Republican Caucus.

Senate committees:

Finance

Chair: Sen. Eric J. Tarr, R-Putnam

Vice Chair: Sen. Rupie Phillips, R-Logan

Judiciary

Chair: Sen. Charles S. Trump IV, R-Morgan

Vice Chair: Sen. Majority Whip Ryan Weld, R-Brooke

Education

Chair: Sen. Amy Nichole Grady, R-Mason

Vice Chair: Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel

Government Organization

Chair: Sen. Jack Woodrum, R-Summers

Vice Chair: Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley

Health and Human Resources

Chair: Sen. Mike Maroney, R-Marshall

Vice Chair: Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha

Energy, Industry and Mining

Chair: Sen. Randy Smith, R-Tucker

Vice Chair: Sen. Ben Queen, R-Harrison

Transportation and Infrastructure

Chair: Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel

Vice Chair: Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha

Military

Chair: Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke

Vice Chair: Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier

Banking and Insurance

Chair: Sen. Mike Azinger, R-Wood

Vice Chair: Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia

Natural Resources/Agriculture

Chair: Sen. Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur

Vice Chair: Sen. David “Bugs” Stover, R-Wyoming

Economic Development

Chair: Sen. Chandler Swope, R-Mercer

Vice Chair: Sen. Patrick Martin, R-Lewis

Alternate Education

Chair: Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson

Vice Chair: Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne

Outdoor Recreation

Chair: Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne

Vice Chair: Sen. Jay Taylor, R-Taylor

Pensions

Chair: Sen. Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha

Vice Chair: Sen. Mark Hunt, R-Kanawha

Workforce

Chair: Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh

Vice Chair: Sen. Glenn Jeffries, R-Putnam

House Committees:  

Finance

Chair: Del. Vernon Criss, R-Wood,

Vice Chair: Del. John Hardy, R-Berkeley

Health and Human Resources Committee

Chair: Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor

Vice Chair: Del. Heather Tully, R-Nicholas

Committee on Economic Development and Tourism

Chair: Del. Gary Howell, R-Mineral

Vice Chair: Del. Wayne Clark, R-Jefferson

Technology and Infrastructure Committee

Chair: Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell

Vice Chair: Del. Jarred Cannon, R-Putnam

Education Committee

Chair: Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer,

Vice Chair: Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia

Vice Chair: Del. Christopher Toney, R-Raleigh

Energy Committee 

Chair: Del. Bill Anderson, R-Wood

Vice Chair: Del. Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock

Judiciary Committee

Chair: Del. Moore Capito, R-Kanawha

Vice Chair: Del. Tom Fast, R-Fayette

Committee on Government Organization

Chair: Del. Chris Phillips, R-Barbour

Vice Chair: Del. Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock