HARRISBURG -- State Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, was elected today as minority chairman of the influential Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees expenditures in the $28 billion state budget.

For 20 years, that Democratic caucus post had been held by Sen. Vincent Fumo, D-Philadelphia, who had a reputation for bringing sizeable state grants to his home town for various projects.

Mr. Fumo had to step down as minority chairman in early 2007, after he was charged with 139 counts of corruption by federal officials in Philadelphia. His trial is going on now and he didn't seek re-election.

He was replaced as Democratic Appropriations chairman last year by Sen. Gerald LaValle of Beaver, but he is retiring Nov. 30.

The majority chairman of the committee will be Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, because Republicans control the Senate by a 29-20 margin, with one seat vacant. Mr. Corman will replace retiring Sen. Gibson Armstrong of Lancaster.

Re-elected as the head of the Senate Democratic caucus was Sen. Robert Mellow of Lackawanna, who has held the job since 1988. Sen. Sean Logan, D-Monroeville, was elected as caucus secretary.

Senate Republicans re-elected their leadership team for the next two-year session: President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati of Jefferson, Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi of Delaware and GOP Whip Jane Orie of McCandless.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.