Staff report

State lawmaker Del. S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, was appointed to several influential committees on the opening day of the General Assembly.

Jones was appointed to the House Rules Committee and was named vice chairman of the Privileges and Elections Committee. He will also continue serving on the Appropriations Committee and the General Laws Committee.

Within these groups, Jones will also serve on the several subcommittees. In the House Appropriations, he will be a member of the subcommittees on Health and Human Resources, Higher Education, and Public Safety. In General Laws, Jones will chair the subcommittee on FOIA.

The missions of the committees include:

— House Rules Committee controls all House Rules and is immensely important in setting the agendas of future General Assemblies as well.

— The Privileges and Elections Committee is responsible for election issues as well as reviewing all gubernatorial appointments.

— The Appropriations Committee acts to craft the state budget, an especially high profile duty in the 2004 session. General Laws handles a whole host of business-related activities including ABC laws and real estate transactions.