The leadership of the House committees that oversee taxes and legal issues will have a new look in the 2011 legislative session, according to committee rosters Speaker Michael E. Busch, D-Anne Arundel, released Wednesday.

Del. Samuel I. “Sandy” Rosenberg, who had been vice-chairman of the Judiciary Committee since 2004, will take the equivalent post on the Ways and Means Committee. The tax-setting committee will still be chaired by Del. Sheila E. Hixson, the Montgomery County Democrat who has held the post since 1993.

Taking Rosenberg’s position on Judiciary will be Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, D-Montgomery. The move will bring some gender balance to Judiciary after the women’s caucus criticized Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr. for his “tyrannical leadership.”

Dumais, who has served on Judiciary since she joined the House in 1993, was critical of the treatment of witnesses before the committee.

Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat who has served on Judiciary since 2003, said some delegates “have been disrespectful” to citizens and “can get into a cross-examination mode that I don’t think is appropriate.”

But she defended the chairman as a man committed to his job and to giving everyone – committee members and citizens alike – a chance to speak out.

The committee will also have eight new members, all of them new to the General Assembly. They are:

• Tiffany Alston, D-Prince George’s
• Sam Arora, D-Montgomery
• Luke Clippinger, D-Baltimore City
• John Cluster, R-Baltimore County
• Michael McDermott, R-Wicomico and Worcester
• Keiffer Mitchell, D-Baltimore City
• Neil Parrott, R-Washington
• Geraldine Valentino-Smith, D-Prince George’s

Economic Matters, which oversees business regulation legislation, will have seven new members, all but one of them veteran lawmakers.

• Del. Benjamin Barnes, D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel
• Del.-elect Steve Hershey, R-Middle Shore
• Del. Tom Hucker, D-Montgomery
• Del. Benjamin F. Kramer, D-Montgomery
• Del. Steven R. Schuh, R-Anne Arundel
• Del. Kelly Schulz, R-Frederick
• Del. Jay Walker, D-Prince George’s