Press release

From the office of Sen. Phil Berger (President Pro Tempore, N.C. Legislature)

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) announced Tuesday he plans to reappoint Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson) as the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate when the legislature convenes early next year.

The Rules Committee is one of the most powerful in the Senate since it controls the flow of legislation and governance of the chamber’s operations. Apodaca’s reappointment ensures that Western North Carolina continues to have a powerful and influential voice in the legislature.

“As Rules Chairman, Sen. Apodaca was instrumental in keeping the Senate focused on our key priorities, which allowed us to have one of the most efficient and productive legislative bienniums in modern history,” said Berger. “He continues to be one of my most trusted advisors, and I thank him for his service.”

Apodaca, who was named the second most effective senator in North Carolina this year by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, will begin his sixth term in January 2013.