Senate sets committee assignments

State Senate committee assignments through the next two legislative sessions were announced Thursday, including chairmanships for several newly elected GOP senators.

Three of the 11 standing committees will be headed by Senate newcomers: Sen.-elect Kevin VanTassell, R-Vernal, Business and Labor; Sen.-elect Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, Education; and Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, Revenue and Taxation.

VanTassell, a banker, is new to the Legislature. Dayton is currently a member of the state House, and Niederhauser was appointed to the Senate between sessions to fill a vacancy left when retiring Sen. Al Mansell decided to step down before his term was completed.

Other changes are a result of Senate leadership elections. Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, who unsuccessfully challenged Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, a second time, will no longer serve as head of the powerful Rules Committee.

Instead, that post will be held by Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, who was defeated in his latest attempt to join leadership. Hickman lost the open assistant majority whip post to Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse.

Waddoups is also being replaced as the head of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment. Sen. Darin Peterson, R-Nephi, will assume that chairmanship. Waddoups will co-chair a joint appropriations subcommittee, Executive Offices and Criminal Justice.

Sen. Pete Knudson, R-Brigham City, voted out as majority leader in favor of Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, will take over Government Operations and Political Subdivisions and become vice chairman of Executive Appropriations.

Bramble is giving up the chairmanship of Revenue and Taxation, which had dealt with all of the controversial tax-reform and tax-cutting legislation last session, for Retirement and Independent Entities.

None of the committees are keeping the same chairman. Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, will move from chairman of Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice to head Health and Human Services.

Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, will head Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Salt Lake, Transportation and Public Utilities and Technology; and Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development.

For appropriation subcommittees, two newcomers will co-chair those panels. Sen.-elect Jon Greiner, R-Ogden, will co-chair Commerce and Workforce Services, while Sen.-elect Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, will co-chair the Natural Resources.

In addition to Waddoups' new assignment, other new appropriation co-chairs will be Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, Health and Human Services; Bramble, Retirement and Independent Entities; Hickman, Economic Development and Revenue; Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, Capital Facilities and Administrative Services; and Walker, Transportation/Environmental Quality.

Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, will remain co-chairman of Executive Appropriations, while other appropriation co-chairs who are keeping their posts will be Bell, Higher Education; and Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, Public Education;

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