Riesberg replaces McGihon as House HHS committee chair

In a surprising move, state Rep. Jim Riesberg (D-Greeley) will take over for state Rep. Anne McGihon (D-Denver) as chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee next year.

Incoming House Speaker Terrance Carroll (D-Denver) said replacing McGihon with Riesberg was "in best interests of the caucus in terms of having some continuity in the years coming forward."

 "Riesberg has four more years (before he's term-limited), and what we're going to have to do in health care is going to take four, six more years," Carroll said. "And we need to have, in my opinion, someone who's going to be here for quite a bit.

Carroll said that "both (McGihon and Riesberg) are very talented people.

" I just thought at the end of the day Jim Riesberg was the best person at this time to lead the caucus' agenda, to be the front person for our health-care reform agenda," Carroll said.

Neither McGihon nor Riesberg returned phone calls seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

Both the House Democrats and the House Republicans announced 2009 committee assignments on Tuesday.