Jackson, Miss. (Clarion Ledger) – Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann announced committee assignments for the Mississippi Senate Friday morning.
The Senate has almost as many committees (42) as it does senators (52), and some committees are more powerful than others. While Republicans took almost all of what’s considered the top jobs, Hosemann did appoint Democrats to some chairmanships.
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, will chair the Appropriations Committee. Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, takes over the Finance Committee from Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, who will chair the Highways and Transportation Committee.
At a time when violence at Mississippi prisons is national news, Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, was appointed chair of the Corrections Committee.
Barnett said he did not specifically ask for the chairmanship, but was happy to receive it.
“We’re gonna do our best to turn this around,” Barnett said. “… We need to be finding ways to correct people’s wrongs (in) other ways than locking them up.”
A former four-term mayor of Heidelberg, Barnett does not come from a law enforcement or criminal justice background, but he said he’s taken an interest in those issues.
Barnett said he’s interested in visiting the state’s prisons soon, noting it’s important “to make sure we get them as soon as possible to compliance.”
Shortly before announcing committee assignment, Hosemann told the Senate he believes “we are at a tipping point in the history of Mississippi” and announced that committees will be assigned lawyers to help research issues.
“We will provide you with some of the finest talent in Mississippi to work for you as an attorney on your committee — not on drafting, but on policy,” Hosemann said. “…If you want to know what every other state did on this issue, they will look it up for you and bring you a white paper … You will grow to depend on them. They are outstanding.”
Hosemann said he plans to elevate the roles — and workload — of vice-chairmen.
“In some instances in the past, I believe that the vice-chairmen have not been as recognized,” Hosemann said. “In the next four years, they will be as busy as the chairmen.”
Here’s the full list of committee chairs and vice-chairs:
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency: Chair John Polk, Vice-chair Angela Burks Hill
Agriculture: Chair Chuck Younger, Vice-chair Benjamin Suber
Appropriations: Chair Briggs Hopson, Vice-chair Brice Wiggins
Business and Financial Institutions: Chair Chris Caughman, Vice-chair Chad McMahan
Constitution: Chair Chris Johnson, Vice-chair Derrick Simmons
Corrections: Chair Juan Barnett, Vice-chair Daniel Sparks
County Affairs: Chair Angela Burks Hill, Vice-chair Chuck Younger
Drug policy: Chair David Jordan, Vice-chair Melanie Sojourner
Economic and Workforce Development: Chair David Parker, Vice-chair Jeremy England
Education: Chair Dennis DeBar Jr., Vice-chair David Blount
Elections: Chair Jenifer Branning, Vice-chair Jeff Tate
Energy: Chair Joel Carter. Vice-chair Gary Jackson
Enrolled Bills: Chair Derrick Simmons, Vice-chair Robert Jackson
Environmental Protection, Conservation and Water Resources: Chair Chris McDaniel. Vice-chair Chris Caughman
Ethics: Chair Albert Butler, Vice-chair Chris McDaniel
Executive Contingent Fund: Chair Robert Jackson, Vice-chair Juan Barnett
Finance: Chair Josh Harkins, Vice-chair Sally Doty
Forestry: Chair Sampson Jackson, Vice-chair Joseph Seymour
Gaming: Chair David Blount, Vice-chair Philip Moran
Highways and Transportation: Chair Joey Fillingane, Vice-chair Rita Potts Parks
Housing: Chair Barbara Blackmon, Vice-chair Tammy Witherspoon
Insurance: Chair J. Walter Michel. Vice-chair Nicole Akins Boyd
Interstate and Federal Cooperation: Chair Hillman Frazier, Vice-chair Joseph Thomas
Investigate State Offices: Chair Mike Thompson, Vice-chair Sarita Simmons
Judiciary, Division A: Chair Sally Doty, Vice-chair Jenifer Branning
Judiciary, Division B: Chair Brice Wiggins, Vice-chair Barbara Blackmon
Labor: Chair John Horhn, Vice-chair Hillman Frazier
Legislative Budget Committee: Vice-chair Delbert Hoseman
Local and Private: Chair Chad McMahan, Vice-chair Dean Kirby
Medicaid: Chair Kevin Blackwell, Vice-chair Chris Johnson
Municipalities: Chair Gary Jackson, Vice-chair Michael McLendon
Ports and Marine Resources: Chair Philip Moran, Vice-chair Mike Thompson
Public Health and Welfare: Chair Hob Bryan, Vice-chair John Polk
Public Property: Chair Angela Turner-Ford, Vice-chair Albert Butler
Rules: Chair Dean Kirby
State Library: Chair Sollie Norwood, Vice-chair Kathy Chism
Technology: Chair Scott DeLano, Vice-chair David Parker
Tourism: Chair Lydia Graves Chassaniol, Vice-chair John Horhn
Universities and Colleges: Chair Rita Potts Parks, Vice-chair Joey Fillingane
Veterans and Military Affairs: Chair Mike Seymour, Vice-chair Scott DeLano
Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks: Chair Neil Whaley, Vice-chair Tyler McCaughn