FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | December 9, 2020
Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus
Contact: Scott Goss (302) 744-4180, or
Dylan McDowell (302) 744-4282
DOVER – Senate President Pro Tempore-Elect David Sokola on Wednesday unveiled a full slate of 18 Senate committees for the 151st General Assembly and announced the individual members who will be assigned to each committee.
“Legislative committees are an essential part of the lawmaking process. While floor votes get much of the attention, it is our committees that gather public input and determine which bills should move forward,” Sokola said. “The assignments I’m laying out today give each of our members an opportunity to lead and, given our Caucus’s new supermajority, the people of Delaware can be assured that our values will be reflected in the bills that come to us for a floor vote.”
The new slate of Senate committees includes some key changes from the 150th General Assembly.
The previously distinct Environment and Energy committees have been merged into a single committee, for instance. The slate also includes the creation of a new Housing Committee.
“All policies governing generation and distribution of energy in Delaware should ever carefully weigh the potential impact on our environment,” Sokola said. “Ensuring all Delawareans have fair and equal access to affordable housing is too important for us to fold this issue into otherwise unrelated committees. These changes will elevate and properly balance how we consider these issues of primary importance to so many Delawareans.”
Following an historic election in which voters gave Democrats a two-third majority in the Delaware State Senate, most Senate committees also are being adjusted to reflect the same two-thirds composition, with four Democrats and two Republicans assigned to each. The chairs of all 18 committees are evenly divided between male and female Senators to reflect the composition and diversity of the Majority Caucus.
“Adding an additional member to each committee will give our members greater knowledge and stronger voices in shaping the policies of our State,” Sokola said. “These assignments put our members’ individual expertise and personal experiences to the highest and best use, and I look forward to beginning the new session knowing we’ve placed our Senators in a position to advance the issues that matter most to Delawareans.”
The full slate and membership of each Senate committee is listed below. Committees and committee assignments will become official when the General Assembly reconvenes on January 12, 2021.
SENATE COMMITTEES – 151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Agriculture
Bruce C. Ennis, Chair
Marie Pinkney, Vice Chair
W. Charles Paradee, III
Bryan Townsend
Bryant L. Richardson
David L. Wilson
Banking, Business & Insurance
Spiros Mantzavinos, Chair
W. Charles Paradee, III, Vice Chair
Laura V. Sturgeon
John J. Walsh, III
Colin R.M.J. Bonini
Bryant L. Richardson
Capital Improvement
Nicole Poore, Chair
Darius J. Brown
Spiros Mantzavinos
John J. Walsh, III
Colin R.M.J. Bonini
David L. Wilson
Corrections & Public Safety
Marie Pinkney, Chair
Bruce C. Ennis, Vice Chair
Sarah McBride
David P. Sokola
Gerald W. Hocker
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Education
Laura V. Sturgeon, Chair
Elizabeth Lockman, Vice Chair
David P. Sokola
Bryan Townsend
Colin R.M.J. Bonini
Ernesto B. Lopez
Elections & Government Affairs
Kyle Evans Gay, Chair
Darius J. Brown, Vice Chair
Stephanie L. Hansen
Nicole Poore
Ernesto B. Lopez
Bryant L. Richardson
Environment & Energy
Stephanie L. Hansen, Chair
W. Charles Paradee, III, Vice Chair
Marie Pinkney
Laura V. Sturgeon
Gerald W. Hocker
David L. Wilson
Executive
David P. Sokola, Chair
Bryan Townsend, Vice Chair
Elizabeth Lockman
Stephanie L. Hansen
Gerald W. Hocker
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Finance
W. Charles Paradee, III, Chair
Bruce C. Ennis
Elizabeth Lockman
Laura V. Sturgeon
David G. Lawson
Ernesto B. Lopez
Health & Social Services
Sarah McBride, Chair
Nicole Poore, Vice Chair
Stephanie L. Hansen
Marie Pinkney
Brian G. Pettyjohn
David L. Wilson
Housing
Bryan Townsend, Chair
Marie Pinkney, Vice Chair
Elizabeth Lockman
Sarah McBride
David G. Lawson
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Judiciary
Darius J. Brown, Chair
Kyle Evans Gay, Vice Chair
Sarah McBride
Bryan Townsend
David G. Lawson
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Labor
John J. Walsh, III, Chair
Nicole Poore, Vice Chair
Bruce C. Ennis
Spiros Mantzavinos
Colin R.M.J. Bonini
Bryant L. Richardson
Legislative Council
David P. Sokola, Chair
Bryan Townsend, Vice Chair
Elizabeth Lockman
Gerald W. Hocker
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Legislative Oversight & Sunset
Kyle Evans Gay, Chair
Marie Pinkney, Vice Chair
Stephanie L. Hansen
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Bryant L. Richardson
Rules & Ethics
Elizabeth Lockman, Chair
David P. Sokola, Vice Chair
Bryan Townsend
Stephanie L. Hansen
Gerald W. Hocker
Brian G. Pettyjohn
Transportation
Elizabeth Lockman, Chair
Stephanie L. Hansen, Vice Chair
Kyle Evans Gay
Spiros Mantzavinos
Ernesto B. Lopez
David L. Wilson
Veterans Affairs
Bruce C. Ennis, Chair
Darius J. Brown, Vice Chair
Kyle Evans Gay
Spiros Mantzavinos
Sarah McBride
David P. Sokola
John J. Walsh, III
Gerald W. Hocker
David G. Lawson
Bryant L. Richardson
David L. Wilson
