LANSING ? Michigan Senate Republicans are wrapping up the process of committee assignments, and among the committee chairs are Sen.-elect Rick Jones of Judiciary, Sen.-elect Mike Kowall of Economic Development and Sen. Mike Nofs of Energy and Technology.

Senate Majority Leader-elect Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) said Tuesday of committee assignments: “I would say that we have agreement, pretty solid agreement, among the entire caucus on about 90, maybe 95 percent of committee membership and leadership.” And the committee structure will undergo changes.

The current Economic Development and Regulatory Reform Committee will be split into two committees. The Commerce and Tourism Committee will be discontinued with all economic development issues going to the Economic Development Committee headed by Mr. Kowall (R-White Lake Twp.). The current Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Recreation Committee will be renamed Outdoor Recreation and Tourism and be chaired by Sen.-elect Goeff Hansen (R-Hart).

The Appropriations Committee will go from 11 Republicans and 7 Democrats to 11 Republicans and five Democrats, reflecting the Senate’s shift from a 22-16 Republican majority to 26-12.

Richardville said he collaborated with Senate Minority Leader-elect Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) on the committee ratios.

“We worked together in a bipartisan way, I would say, to make sure that we’re putting a fair load on both sides of the aisle and at the same time getting people if they’re interested in certain areas appointed to those committees,” he said.

Richardville said he plans to contact members in next 24 hours about decisions.

The Campaign and Election Oversight and Local, Urban and State Affairs committees will be merged into one committee. And, as Richardville previously indicated, there will be a new Redistricting Committee.

Sen.-elect Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair) will chair the Education Committee. He was the top Republican on the House Education Committee.

The Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee will be renamed Natural Resources, Environment and the Great Lakes. The chair is Sen.-elect Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba).

Richardville said he is still finalizing who will chair the Transportation Committee. Full committee assignments are expected to be announced later this week.

He previously had announced that Sen. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw Twp.) would chair Appropriations and that Sen.-elect Jack Brandenburg (R-Harrison Twp.) would chair the Finance Committee.

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