OLYMPIA — State Rep. Cary Condotta will be the ranking Republican on a new House committee that will make the rules for the state’s new law legalizing marijuana.

The new House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee will examine fiscal and performance audits of state government programs and agencies as well as tackle the legislation dealing with oversight of liquor, tobacco, gambling and marijuana, Condotta said.

“It’s pretty good stuff. I’m pretty happy,” said the 12th District Republican from East Wenatchee of his new assignment. “There are already 1,001 questions.”

Condotta will remain on the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee, but no longer as ranking member. He was also newly assigned to the House Finance Committee, which considers all tax and revenue bills.

His newly elected freshman colleague in the 12th District, Rep.-elect Brad Hawkins (R-East Wenatchee), recently announced that he’s been assigned to committees for K-12 Education, Capital Budget and Business and Finance (banking and insurance, biz licenses).

“A house analyst had to go to the basement to find the old journals to discover that the last representative from the 12th District to serve on the House Education Committee was Rep. Rollie Schmitten in 1978,” Hawkins said in an email. “My school board experience likely helped.”

State Sen. Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) will remain on the Senate Healthcare, Rules and Ways and Means committees, but she will no longer lead Ways and Means’ Capital Budget subcommittee. She will chair the Republican Caucus, her legislative assistant Shiloh Schauer said Thursday.

Party leadership approves committee assignments ahead of each new legislative session. Elected officials usually get one of the committees they request and are assigned to two others.

Christine Pratt: 665-1173

pratt@wenatcheeworld.com