House Ways & Means sets education-finance focus, outlines liaisons and meeting norms

The House Ways & Means Committee opened its 2025 organizational meeting with an emphasis on education finance and a set of administrative procedures intended to manage a heavy bill load.

Representative Emily Kornheiser, chair of the House Ways & Means Committee, told members, “Our work this session, is going to be primarily education finance,” and said the panel will coordinate with other House committees, the Senate and the administration as it examines the state’s education funding system.

Kornheiser said the committee will assign each member to act as a liaison to another legislative committee to track bills that could affect the education fund. She also asked members to pair up into “ways and means buddies” to keep colleagues informed and said she expects members to maintain regular contact with local superintendents, school business officials and teacher representatives.

The chair framed the work as diagnostic rather than decisive: the committee will “peel back enough layers that we can really understand what’s happening in order to set a vision for what’s possible,” she said, noting that alterations to the education fund can have knock-on effects elsewhere in state policy.

Kornheiser outlined behavioral and logistical norms for the committee: members should treat staff and witnesses with respect and patience, limit food on the table during meetings, take regular breaks, and avoid trying to resolve every question on the record during full committee sessions. “They are here to help us,” she said of staff, urging members to bring detailed questions to staff or administration representatives when needed.

Several members offered brief introductions and remarks about experience and readiness to work together. Representative Bill Ganfield noted his 11th year on the committee and called for collaboration; Representative Carolyn Bridal, a long-serving member, described the committee as “very smart” and well suited to the session’s challenges. Newer members introduced themselves and their backgrounds in local boards and finance.

Committee business to follow the organizational meeting includes electing a clerk and finalizing committee liaison assignments; Kornheiser said the panel would reconvene after the canvassing committee and floor activity and hoped to return before lunch to continue administrative organization.

No bills, motions or formal votes were taken during this opening session; the meeting focused on orientation, roles and process for the coming work on education finance.