Starting off this post with a digression: I love this photo of Senator Laura Sturgeon. The context, as Senator Bryan Townsend was being sworn in, he was holding his young son, Logan, and his fellow Senators, including Senator Sturgeon and Senator Delcollo, were holding up Logan’s favorite Seasame Street characters.
Anywho, Senator Sturgeon is now the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, replacing Dave Sokola. That’s huge. To quote Kevin Ohlandt at Exceptional Delaware, Delaware’s premiere education blog:
“Having Sturgeon as Chair is big news for Delaware education. She served on the Delaware State Education Association Executive Committee for many years. Lockman as Vice-Chair is also an interesting choice. […] Many have wondered if David Sokola will make this his last term and resign after 26 years in the State Senate. Sokola is synonymous with the Senate Education Committee so to see him take a step back like this is shocking.”
Another interesting committee choice is rookie Senator Darius Brown being made the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Senator Brown’s legal experience or background is the receipt of a Paralegal Certificate from Delaware Technical & Community College. I know this is elitist and establishment of me, but I tend to like my Judiciary Committee chairmen to be lawyers or at least have a JD degree. Change my mind!
AGRICULTURE — Ennis, Hansen, McDowell, Richardson, Wilson
BANKING, BUSINESS & INSURANCE — Paradee, Sokola, Townsend, Bonini, Pettyjohn
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT — Sokola, Brown, Townsend, Walsh, Bonini, Pettyjohn
CORRECTIONS & PUBLIC SAFETY — Ennis, Brown, Lockman, Hocker, Pettyjohn
EDUCATION — Sturgeon, Lockman, Sokola, Delcollo, Lopez
ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES — Paradee, Hansen, McDowell, Hocker, Wilson
ELECTIONS, GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS — Poore, Walsh, McBride, Cloutier, Richardson
EXECUTIVE — McBride, Poore, McDowell, Townsend, Cloutier, Hocker
FINANCE — McDowell, Ennis, Paradee, Sturgeon, Lawson, Richardson
HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES — Townsend, Poore, Hansen, Lopez, Pettyjohn
JUDICIAL — Brown, Townsend, Ennis, Delcollo, Lawson
LABOR — Walsh, Poore, McBride, Bonini, Cloutier
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — McBride, Poore, Townsend, Cloutier, Hocker
RULES & ETHICS — McBride, Poore, Townsend, Cloutier, Hocker
SUNSET — Lockman, Walsh, Hansen, Delcollo, Lopez
TRANSPORTATION — Hansen, Sturgeon, Lockman, Cloutier, Lawson
VETERANS AFFAIRS — Ennis, McBride, Poore, Richardson, Wilson
(Photo credits: Senate staff, and Jason Minto of The News Journal)
Rrally!? Ennis on judicial again. Yeah, that went great last year.