Senator stays as vice chairman in committees

State Sen. Tom Harman will continue as vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2009, according to a news release from his office.

In that role, he is the highest ranked Republican on the committee, as he has been since his election in 2006.

“As the Republican point person on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am committed to streamlining our legal system so that courts are accessible to the citizens and frivolous lawsuits are a thing of the past,” Harman said in a statement released to the media. “Our legal system, often hamstrung by unnecessary lawsuits, is very much in need of tort reform.”

Harman will also be vice chairman of the governmental organization committee, where he has been a member since 2006.

His other memberships include committees on: banking, finance and insurance; transportation and housing; and budget and fiscal review.

— Michael Alexander