MICHIGAN
Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, became the chamber's youngest member when she was sworn into her new position in Tuesday's Senate session.
Whitmer defeated Vince Green in last week's special Senate election to fill the vacant 23rd District senate seat.
Whitmer, 34, said she enjoyed the experience and felt welcomed by members from both parties.
She went straight from the Senate session into her new committee meetings Tuesday.
"There was no honeymoon today," Whitmer said.
The committees Whitmer was assigned to were the Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism; Local, Urban and State Affairs; Judiciary Gaming and Casino Oversight; and the Health Policy committee, where she will serve as the Minority Vice Chair.
Her major plans for this week are catching up on the bills and issues before her new committees, since she will be attending committee meetings during the week.
"There will be a lot of reading bills and analyses," she said.
Whitmer said she appreciated the welcome and offers of assistance made on the floor by Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming, and Senate Minority Leader Bob Emerson, D-Flint.
"We welcome Gretchen to the Senate with open arms," Emerson said in a press release.