Rucho snags another plum committee in 2011 Senate

Mecklenburg state Sen. Bob Rucho of Charlotte has picked up another plum assignment in the upcoming General Assembly. He will cochair, with Cabarrus Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, the Senate Finance Committee, which handles tax legislation. It's an important post, one that reflects the 2011 Senate leadership's confidence in both Hartsell, a veteran legislator beginning his 11th term in the Senate, and Rucho, who is beginning his seventh term, including a portion of a term served when he was appointed to a vacancy.


Rucho will also chair the Senate Redistricting Committee in the 2011 session.

Sen. Phil Berger, who will be the Senate president pro tem in the first Senate session that Republicans have controlled in more than a century, made the appointments Monday morning.

“Senators Rucho and Hartsell are both capable, experienced legislators ready to lead the Senate Finance Committee with a clear vision for putting our state’s economy back on firm footing,” he said.

Berger has named experienced legislators who have had good ideas in the Senate to run key committees, and the pairing of Rucho and Hartsell to chair the Finance Committee is interesting. Rucho has strong conservative credentials with a reputation for energy and passion on issues. Hartsell is one of the Senate's best lawyers who managed to get legislation passed regularly when Democrats were in charge.