Donovan makes appointments

The General Assembly does not convene for another month, but Chris Donovan, the incoming speaker, is getting down to business. He appointed his leadership team and his committee chairmen Thursday.

Donovan made his Meriden colleagues House leaders. Buddy Altobello remains a deputy speaker, and Cathy Abercrombie moved up in the ranks. She will be an assistant majority leader.

Add Sen. Tom Gaffey into the mix, and it looks like Meriden's delegation of four will all be leaders this year. Gaffey hasn't been named a Senate leader for 2009 yet, but he served as chief deputy president pro tempore last year. I don't expect that to change.

Towns near Meriden also are represented well when it comes to Donovan's leadership team.

Corky Mazurek and Zeke Zalaski are assistant majority whips, Joe Aresimowicz is an assistant majority leader and Mary Fritz is keeping her role as assistant deputy speaker.

Vickie Nardello will get to chair the Energy and Technology Committee -- a committee that tends to play a large role in today's society, and Mary Mushinsky is looking to foster systemic change by chairing the Program Review and Investigation Committee.

I know it's great for cities and towns to have people in high places, but did Donovan favor New Haven County? Did he make the right decisions?

For more on Donovan's appointments, check out tomorrow's Record-Journal.