Senator Portantino Appointed Chair of the Committee on Appropriations

State Senator Anthony Portantino, who represents Pasadena and the 25th Senate District, was appointed Monday as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins announced.

Portantino replaces Senator Ricardo Lara, from the 33rd Senate District, as Appropriations Committee chair. Lara will be the Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations.

“It is an honor to have been appointed as the Chair of the Appropriations Committee and I want to thank my good friend President pro Tem Toni Atkins for entrusting me with this responsibility,” Portantino said in a statement Monday. “I enjoy serving as a State Senator of the 25th Senate District and I am excited to pursue this new opportunity.”

The Appropriations committee evaluates hundreds of senate and assembly bills each legislative session and then determines the cost and fiscal impact of each bill. Upon review of the impacts, the Committee either moves forward with a bill or holds them in committee.

In other Senate appointments, Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) has replaced Senator Hernandez (D-West Covina) as Chair of the Committee on Health. Sen. Hernandez will remain as a member of the Committee on Health.

Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) has been appointed to the Education Committee as a member to fill the current vacancy. Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) remains the Chair of the Committee on Education.