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February 17, 2005

Black reps get new committee assignments

Yawu Miller

More than any other move, House Speaker Sal Dimasi’s appointment of state Rep. Byron Rushing’s as second assistant majority leader signals the reverasl of fortunes legislators of color have seen since the departure of House Speaker Thomas Finneran.

Rushing, who was chairman of the influential Insurance Committee under previous House Speaker Charles Flaherty, was stripped of his post and exiled from his plush, second floor office to a hole-in-the wall on the building’s 5th floor.

Finneran, who was apparently punishing Rushing for failing to support his candidacy for House Speaker, similarly punished other black legislators, leaving the leadership ranks of the House largely bereft of color.

DiMasi, who took power after Finneran abruptly quit his post last year — shortly after reports surfaced of a federal probe into his testimony during a redistricting lawsuit — has effectively re-colorized the House leadership with appointments including:

• Rep. Marie St. Fleur as vice chairwoman of the influential Ways and Means Committee,

• Rep. Ben Swann as vice chairman of the Bond and Capital Expenditures Committee,

• Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez as vice chairman of the new Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies,

• Rep. Cheryl Rivera as chairwoman of Homeland Security,

• Rep. Shirley Owens Hicks as chairwoman of the new Committe on Children and Families.

Additionally, reps Gloria Fox and William Lantigua were appointed to Ways and Means, traditionally viewed as one of the more powerful committees on Beacon Hill.

“It’s one of the most coveted positions,” noted St. Fleur. “It’s where decisions on the budget are made.”

St. Fleur says the committee assignments show a new willingness in the House leadership to empower diverse constituencies.

“Part of what the speaker is doing is making the House more responsive to the needs of our constituents,” she said. “We are all in critical positions that put us at the center of policy and the fiscal needs of the state.”

St. Fleur’s own appointment is somewhat of a lateral move. Under Finneran, who considered her an ally, she was chairwoman of the Education Committee. While a vice chairmanship is technically a demotion, however, the influence of a leadership position on Ways and Means in the House makes an assignment to the committee a coveted position.

The concentration of Black Caucus members in leadership positions bodes well for the community, according to Horace Small, executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods.

“This is like Glasnost overnight,” he said. “We have a chance now for folks to be heard. We have a chance to move some legislation. We have a chance for the black community to flex some muscle.” 

 

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