House Shuffles Committee Heads; ABQ Reps to Chair Key Panels

House Speaker Ken Martinez just handed out committee assignments for the 51st Legislature and several Albuquerque lawmakers landed powerful posts.

Rep. Mimi Stewart, a Democrat who will serve as House Education Committee chairwoman (she had led the Health and Government Affairs Committee previously), said she had been angling for the assignment.

“It was not a surprise,” Stewart said. “I was hoping for it.”

Rep. Rick Miera had previously chaired the education panel. However, Miera is now the House Democratic floor leader, meaning he cannot serve as a committee chairman.

Meanwhile, Rep. Gail Chasey, also an Albuquerque Democrat, will be chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee. She takes over for Al Park, who did not run for re-election last year.

Overall, five of the 12 House committees that meet regularly will have new committee chairs.

The other two new chairmen are Rep. Eliseo Alcon, D-Milan, who will head the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee; Rep. George Dodge, D-Santa Rosa, who will head the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee; and Rep. James Roger Madalena, D-Jemez Pueblo, who will shift duties to take the reins of teh House Health, Government and Indian Affairs Committee.

The Senate has not yet announced its committee assignments, though that’s expected to happen tomorrow.