HARRISBURG – Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39) today appointed Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) to several standing Senate committees for the 2022-23 Legislative Session.
Dush will serve as chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, a committee on which he served as vice chairman during the 2021-22 session.
The State Government Committee has broad oversight over the executive branch, including the Office of the Governor, the Departments of State and General Services, as well as the Civil Service, Historical and Museum, and State Ethics Commissions. The committee is also responsible for developing and approving legislation relating to campaigns and elections, ethics and transparency in state government, constitutional amendments, and state procurement and land sales.
The senator will remain on the Intergovernmental Operations Committee, but as vice chairman. Dush was chair of that committee during the 2021-22 session following his appointment in August 2021. He oversaw an investigation of the integrity of the 2020 election in Pennsylvania, which served to better inform the legislature about potential future actions to be considered to improve the state’s election system, with that effort focused on being legally sound and proceeding in a careful, thoughtful and transparent manner. The committee will continue its efforts to review proposals to restructure and streamline all aspects of state government.
He will also return as a member of the Game and Fisheries and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees, on which he was a member during the 2021-22 session, and the Local Government Committee, for which he was chairman during the prior session.
Additionally, he will serve as a member of the Appropriations and Judiciary committees during the 2022-23 session.
The Appropriations Committee reviews all legislation for its fiscal impact and plays a crucial role in negotiating and developing the state budget. Each year, the panel holds a series of public hearings with leaders of state departments and agencies to study the governor’s budget proposal and ensure taxpayer dollars are being utilized properly.
The Judiciary Committee considers a wide range of issues pertaining to Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system. The committee examines and addresses a heavy load of legislative proposals which are referred, and engages in efforts that increase justice, fairness, and the protection of fundamental rights. The committee works closely with matters that involve the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Office of Victim Advocate, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Board of Pardons, Pennsylvania Parole Board, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, and Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The senator’s newfound position on this committee will allow him to better advocate for his upcoming anti-human trafficking efforts.
Dush responded to the appointments saying: “I’m honored and humbled by the confidence Sen. Ward has shown in me by these appointments. The addition of the Appropriations and Judiciary committees to my plate, I feel, are a reflection of my commitment to the fiscal stewardship of the people’s money and to the constitutional responsibility to protect the people of the commonwealth.”
CONTACT: Zack Ankeny