Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) Thursday was named Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee by Senate Democratic Leadership; the only returning Environmental Committee Chair in either the Senate or House.

Sen. Yudichak was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after spending 13 years in the House.  He followed long-time Senate Environmental Committee Chair Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne).

Sen. Yudichak has provided leadership on enactment of the Growing Greener II Program which invests in reclaiming abandoned mine lands and restoring streams and promoted investments in renewable energy and creating green jobs.

He also supported a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling and a temporary moratorium on further leasing of state forest lands for Marcellus drilling.

As a member of the House, he was prime sponsor of the Waste Tire Act to provide funding for the removal of waste tire piles.

Other Chairs

The full list of Senate Republican and Democratic Chairs includes--

Aging & Youth

Republican: Sen. Bob Mensch (R-Lehigh)*

Democrat: Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-Washington)

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Republican: Sen. Elder A. Vogel, Jr. (R-Beaver)

Democrat: Sen. Judith Schwank (D-Berks)*

Appropriations

Republican: Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre)

Democrat: Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia)

Banking & Insurance

Republican: Sen. Don White (R-Indiana)

Democrat: Sen. Michael Stack (D-Philadelphia)

Communications & Technology

Republican: Sen. Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny)*

Democrat: Sen. Lawrence Farnese (D-Philadelphia)

Community, Economic & Recreational Development

Republican: Sen. Kim L. Ward (R-Westmoreland)*

Democrat: Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny)

Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure

Republican: Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson (R-Bucks)

Democrat: Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh)

Education

Republican: Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon)*

Democrat: Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester)

Environmental Resources & Energy

Republican: Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Bradford)*

Democrat: Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne)

Finance

Republican: Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster)

Democrat: Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna)*

Game & Fisheries

Republican: Sen. Richard Alloway (R-Franklin)

Democrat: Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Somerset)

Intergovernmental Operations

Republican: Senator-elect Scott E. Hutchinson (R-Venango)*

Democrat: Sen. Sean Wiley (D-Erie)*

Judiciary

Republican: Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf (R-Montgomery)

Democrat: Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery)

Labor & Industry

Republican: Sen. John R. Gordner (R-Columbia)

Democrat: Sen. Christine  Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia)

Law & Justice

Republican: Sen. Charles T. McIlhinney, Jr. (R-Bucks)*

Democrat: Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny)

Local Government

Republican: Sen. John H. Eichelberger, Jr. (R-Blair)

Democrat: Sen. Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin)*

Public Health & Welfare

Republican: Sen. Patricia H. Vance (R-Cumberland)

Democrat: Sen. Shirley Kitchen (D-Philadelphia)

Rules & Executive Nominations

Republican: Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware)

Democrat: Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny)

State Government

Republican: Sen. Lloyd K. Smucker (R-Lancaster)*

Democrat: Sen. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny)*

Transportation

Republican: Sen. John C. Rafferty, Jr. (R-Montgomery)

Democrat: Sen. John Wozniak (D-Cambria)

Urban Affairs & Housing

Republican: Sen. David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill)*

Democrat: Sen. James Brewster (D-Allegheny)

Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness

Republican: Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne)

Democrat: Sen. Tim Solobay (D-Washington)

*New Chairs

12/24/2012