Yuma senators to sit on three committees

Yuma's two senators will be sitting on the same three committees when the Arizona Legislature begins its 51st regular session in January.

Senate President-elect Andy Biggs released the full list of committees and assignments. This year the State Senate will have 12 committees, down from last year's 15.

Sen. Don Shooter (R-Yuma) will continue chairing the Appropriations Committee, a position that is considered one of the most powerful in the Arizona Senate.

Shooter, who represents the state's newly formed District 13, will also be a member of the combined Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Committee as well as Public Safety.

“I wanted to stay on Rural Affairs. I wanted to keep my involvement in that. I wanted to position myself to be able to protect Yuma's interest,” Shooter said.

Sen. Lynne Pancrazi (D-Yuma), who represents District 4, will be a part of the same three committees. She told the Yuma Sun that she requested Appropriations and Rural Affairs.

“I haven't been part of Appropriations before. I've been in the Legislature for six years and I felt ready to take it on. I felt I have the extra time it's going to take. It was my very first choice. I'm sure it will be a learning curve, but it's a very important one,” she said.

Pancrazi wanted the opportunity to give her input on the general fund and budget, she said. “And I might be able to get some of my priorities looked at and make sure they're not overlooked.”

She also requested Rural Affairs because her new district is mostly rural. “Everything except Goodyear is rural, and those are the communities I will be representing,” Pancrazi said.

She also asked for the Education Committee “because I'm an educator, but I didn't get it. It's a very sought-out committee.”

However, as part of Appropriations, she hopes to influence issues involving education “Education is a part of that. Everything, every bill, has to go through Appropriations.”

Overall, Pancrazi is “very pleased” with the committee selections.

“I look forward to sitting on them and I look forward to the new make-up of the Legislature. I think this year there will be a lot of bipartisan cooperation and people reaching across both aisles,” she said.