Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Antelope Valley, was appointed Tuesday to the Senate Rules Committee. The five-member Rules Committee requires confirmation from the entire Senate, and is responsible for reviewing hundreds of key gubernatorial appointments before they’re voted on by the full Senate.
The committee also has jurisdiction over proposed amendments and rules for the Legislature. Wilk was appointed by Sen. Toni Atkins, president pro tempore of the California State Senate.
“For this particular committee, you have to be selected and voted upon by your colleagues,” Wilk said. “Obviously, because you have responsibilities that are broader, it says a lot about the way you conduct yourself. So gaining a unanimous vote from my fellow members was quite moving.”
Wilk will be one of two Republicans on the committee, replacing fellow Republican Sen. Tom Berryhill. He said he was committed to using his new position to ensure the Senate would operate efficiently and transparently.
“If you look at my legislative record, I’ve worked on a lot of bills in the area of transparency and accountability,” he said. “I want to make sure moving forward that this committee conducts itself in a transparent and accountable way. The thing about this business is if you mess up, it’s in the newspaper.”
The Senate Rules Committee is chaired by Atkins, and Sens. Bill Monning, Anthony Cannella and Richard Roth are also members.