Virginia state Sen. Janet Howell, first woman to co-chair Senate Finance Committee, dead at 82

RICHMOND, Va. — Janet Howell, a trailblazing Virginia state senator who served for 32 years and became the first woman to co-chair the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, died Sunday. As co-chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, she helped shape Virginia's state budget for a generation. "Senator Janet Howell stepped into the arena at a time when few women were welcome there. "I learned and laughed a lot with her, especially during long days and nights on the Senate Finance Committee over which she presided as the first woman chair," McClellan said. Deeply saddened by the passing of Janet Howell.