And they're off.

The Joint Budget Subcommittee for Agriculture/Environment/Housing will commence hearings on Wednesday, March 14 at 1:00 P.M.

The 2007 line up for the assembly has many new faces compared to last year:

• Vito Lopez, Co-chair (new to subcommittee, Housing Committee chair)
• Robert Sweeney (new to subcommittee, new EnCon Committee chair)
• William Magee (Agriculture Committee chair)
• John McEneny (new to subcommittee, Member of Ag)
• Fred Thiele (new to subcommittee, Member of En Con)
• Alternate members: Margaret Markey (new to subcommittee, Member of Ag), James Conte

The line up for the senate, mostly the same folks, save for the alternates:

• Carl Marcellino, Co-Chair (EnCon Committee chair)
• John Bonacic (Housing Committee chair)
• Catharine Young (Agriculture Committe chair)
• Mary Lou Rath
• David Valesky (Top Dem on Ag)
  
• Alternate members (new to subcommittee): Andrew Lanza, Liz Krueger (Top Dem on Housing)