Lt. Governor John Wilder (D-Mason) has announced that Sen. Rosalind Kurita (D-Clarksville) will take a seat on the Senate Finance Committee.
“I’m honored to receive this appointment, but it’s almost unbelievable that the last time a woman served on Senate Finance was before I was born,” Sen. Kurita said.
She becomes only the second woman ever to serve on the 11-member Senate Finance Committee and the first woman since Sen. Mildred Louella Lashlee served in 1945.
“Eighty-five years ago, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women across the nation the right to vote. To have only two women serving on such an important committee in the ensuing 85 years means we still have a lot of work to do,” she said.
Sen. Kurita, a registered nurse, is recognized as a leader on health policy issues. She is also among the hardest working members of the Senate, with a reputation for thoroughly studying complex issues. While serving on Senate Finance, she will push several key agenda items.
“As a nurse, health care issues are very important to me,” Sen. Kurita said. “I’ll be looking for ways to improve our health care infrastructure so Tennesseans have access to the care they need. We need to find innovative budget solutions to address growing concerns about access to adequate care.”
Sen. Kurita says she also plans to listen to the leadership of women’s groups from around the state to see what issues are important to them.
“As the only woman on this committee, I feel I have a responsibility beyond my Senate district,” Kurita said. “I want to hear from women across the state about what our state’s budget priorities should be.”
Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle (D-Memphis) says he looks forward to Sen. Kurita’s service on Senate Finance.
“Rosalind Kurita is a welcome addition to the Finance Committee,” Sen. Kyle said. “She is respected by her colleagues as a hard worker. She studies complex issues with discipline and tenacity. The Senate and our state will benefit from her service.”