On Friday, Governor Phil Scott made public the appointments of two new lawmakers to the Vermont Statehouse, filling vacant positions due to recent resignations.

Val Taylor, a Republican from Mendon, will take on the role in the House for the Rutland-11 district, succeeding Jim Harrison, a member from Chittenden who will officially step down on January 6. Taylor, who has previously held the position of chair on the local selectboard, operates a family-run residential painting business.

In another appointment, John Benson of Brookfield was named to fill the Senate seat in Orange County previously occupied by Larry Hart, who resigned in October. Benson brings over 45 years of experience as a civil engineer, having served as a managing partner at the engineering firm DuBois and King. He also leads the Brookfield Selectboard as its chair.

Larry Hart’s departure from the Senate has created vacancies in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, including an additional position that belonged to former Senator Samuel Douglass, who also resigned this fall following revelations of his participation in an online racist group chat. The Vermont General Assembly is set to reconvene its sessions next Tuesday.