News release courtesy of District 5 State Senator Charles Schwertner:
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst released his list of Senate committee appointments for the 83rd Texas Legislature, naming Senator Charles Schwertner, MD (R – Senate District 5) to the Senate Committees on Health & Human Services, Criminal Justice, Government Organization, and Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security.
“I am greatly humbled by the responsibility Lt. Governor Dewhurst has entrusted in me, and I look forward to using my experience as a physician and businessman to deliver real results for the families of Senate District 5,” said Schwertner. “These committees represent a wide range of vital interests in our community; from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville to the thousands of farmers and ranchers living and operating throughout Senate District 5.”
As the state’s second most powerful elected official, the Lt. Governor’s duties include presiding over the Texas Senate and making appointments to the Senate’s various committees.
“Senator Schwertner is a unique talent in the Texas Senate,” said Lt. Governor Dewhurst. “Charles has both the drive and the capability to effectively address some of the state’s most pressing issues, including the rising cost of health care and the adverse effects that Obamacare will have on the citizens of Texas in the years to come.”
As a member of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, Dr. Schwertner will supervise the state’s public health policy, helping to regulate the practice of medicine, dentistry, and other health professions. The committee is also responsible for providing oversight to a number of state agencies, including the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Medical Board, and the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. In 2011, Dr. Schwertner served on the committee’s counterpart in the Texas House, the House Committee on Public Health.
“As a practicing physician, Charles has the first-hand expertise to make a direct and immediate impact on our state’s health care policy and help us reign in the rapidly growing cost of Medicaid,” said Chairwoman Jane Nelson.
Senator Schwertner was also named the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Organization, the committee charged with improving the efficiency of state government and ensuring that all state tax dollars are utilized effectively.
Lt. Governor Dewhurst also appointed Schwertner to the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, which oversees one of Senate District 5’s largest employers, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, headquartered in Huntsville, Texas.
Additionally, Schwertner was named to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security; an assignment both dear to his heart and his family heritage.
“As someone with six generations of farming and ranching roots in Senate District 5, I’m proud to have the opportunity to advocate for our district’s many agricultural interests as a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security,” said Schwertner.
In 2012, Senator Schwertner won the Republican Primary for the Texas Senate with nearly 75% of the vote. Senate District 5 is a ten-county region of Central and East Texas which includes Brazos, Freestone, Grimes, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Walker and Williamson counties.