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By Katie Trojano, Reporter Staff
February 17, 2021
Katie Trojano, Reporter Staff
Speaker of the Massachusetts House Ronald Mariano unveiled the first committee slate of his speakership last week, and Senate President Karen Spilka released assignments for her branch as well.
Sen. Nick Collins, who represents large parts of Dorchester and Mattapan in the 1st Suffolk District, will chair the Senate committee on Community Development and Small business. He was also named vice chair of the committee on Bonding and Cannabis Policy.
Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, who also represents parts of both neighborhoods, will chair a joint committee on Cannabis Policy and she will serve on panels focused on redistricting and “reimagining” the state’s post-pandemic resiliency.
Colin A. Young
State House News Service
House Speaker Ronald Mariano released his first slate of committee assignments after they were ratified by a Democratic caucus Friday, rounding out the hierarchy that started coming into view Thursday with the announcement of Mariano s leadership team.
On Thursday, Mariano announced his core leadership team and Friday s committee assignments put the rest of the committee structure in place for the House to get to work in earnest.
Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester was moved from being from the chair of the Economic Development Committee to the vice chair role on the Committee on Ways and Means.
BOSTON – The U.S. Census Bureau now plans to deliver redistricting data to states by Sept. 30, instead of by March 31, throwing a major wrench into efforts by state legislatures to redraw Congressional and legislative districts this year, as is required every 10 years.
The delays are related to the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritization of the delivery of state population counts for apportionment to the president by April 30, according to the Census Bureau. Apportionment is the process of dividing the 435 seats in the U.S. House among the 50 states and is required every 10 years.
Redrawing the boundaries of districts to reflect population shifts is a job the Massachusetts Legislature faces pressure to complete in time for the 2022 elections.