By Guy Page

Republicans chair three Senate committees in the 2025-26 Legislature. They also hold five vice-chair positions. And two committees have GOP majorities. 

Russ Ingalls (Essex) leads Agriculture, Brian Collamore leads Government Operations, and Richard Westman leads Transportation.

If the Legislature can be likened to high school (and it can), then committee chairs are the Big Men on Campus, setting the agenda and tone for the rest of the ‘student body.’ Bills aren’t taken up and the all-important committee votes aren’t held without their explicit permission. Vice-chairs are like the lieutenant governor: they don’t hold the same executive power as the governor but often work with, and function in the absence of him/her. Some chairs delegate leadership on key issues or bills to vice-chairs.

Both the House and Senate transportation committees are chaired by Republicans. How the new leadership approaches the transition to electric and public transportation in pursuit of carbon emission reduction remains to be seen.

GOP vice-chairs include Pat Brennan (Colchester-Grand Isle) on Appropriations, Randy Brock (Franklin) on Economic Development, David Weeks (Rutland) on Education, Robert Norris (Franklin) on Judiciary, and Terry Williams (Rutland) on Natural Resources and Energy.

One former Democrat chair, Ruth Hardy (Addison), was not named to any leadership position. Last year the Health and Welfare committee member outspokenly challenged Chair Ginny Lyons on her management of the committee agenda. Lyons was elected Wednesday as the third member of the Committee on Committees, which makes all committee assignments. 

Agriculture has a 3-2 GOP majority. Another committee, Education, is split 3-3, reflecting not only the greater number of Republican senators but also the Democrat majority leadership’s expressed desire to work in cooperation on the complex, controversial issue of education finance.  

Agriculture

Meets in the morning in Room 28

Chair Russ Ingalls, R-Essex

Vice-Chair Joe Major, D-Windsor

Brian Collamore, R-Rutland

Steve Heffernan, R-Addison

Rob Plunkett, D-Bennington

Appropriations

Meets in the afternoon in Room 5

Chair Andrew Perchlik, D/P – Washington

Vice Chair Pat Brennan, R-Colchester/Grand Isle

Richard Westman, R-Lamoille

Lyons, D-Chittenden

Baruth, D-Chittenden

Watson, D-Washington

Norris, R-Franklin

Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs

Meets in the morning in Room 27

Chair Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor

Vice-chair Randy Brock, R-Franklin

Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden

Tom Chittenden, D-Chittenden

David Weeks, R-Rutland

Education

Meets in the afternoon in Room 28

Chair Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington

Vice-chair David Weeks, R

Ram Hinsdale, D

Nader Hashim, D-Windham

Terry Williams, R-Rutland

Heffernan, R

Finance

Meets in the afternoon in Room 6

Chair Ann Cummings, D-Washington

Vice-chair Tom Chittenden, D

Ruth Hardy, D-Addison

Martine Gulick, D-Chittenden

Brock, R

Scott Beck, R-Caledonia

Chris Mattos, R-Chittenden

Government Operations

Meets in the afternoon in Room 4

Chair Brian Collamore, R-Rutland

Vice-chair Tanya Vyhovsky, D/P Chittenden

Becca White, D-Windsor

Clarkson, D

Larry Hart, R-Orange

Health and Welfare

Meets in the morning in Room 17

Chair Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden

Vice-chair Nadine Gulick, D

Cummings, D

Hart, R

Sam Douglass, R-Orleans

Institutions

Meets in the afternoon in Room 7

Chair Wendy Harrison, D-Windham

Vice-chair Rob Plunkett, D

Ingalls, R

Major, D

Douglass, R

Judiciary

Meets in the morning in Room 1

Chair Nader Hashim, D-Windham

Vice-Chair Bob Norris, R-Franklin

Vyhovsky, D-P

Baruth, D

Mattos, R

Natural Resources and Energy

Meets in the morning in Room 8

Chair Anne Watson, D-Washington

Vice-Chair Terry Williams, R

Hardy, D

Bongartz, D

Beck, R

Transportation

Meets in the morning in Room 3

Chair Rich Westman, R-Lamoille

Vice-chair Becca White, D

Harrison, D

Perchlik, D

Brennan, R