Most of the key chairs from the past four years will remain in place under the committee assignments announced Thursday by Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann.
Hosemann had his committee assignments read to the members, as is the custom, Thursday before the Senate adjourned for the weekend.
“We have spent hundreds of hours working on these assignments,” Hosemann told the senators. “My decision in these appointments is to place senators in the best position to serve the state of Mississippi and the citizens who sent us here.”
Republican Briggs Hopson of Vicksburg will remain as Appropriations chair, and Republican Josh Harkins of Flowood will continue as Finance chair, two powerful committees with jurisdiction over budget and tax policy.
Despite criticism from former state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who unsuccessfully challenged him in last year’s Republican primary election, Hosemann, as is the custom of past Republican lieutenant governors, continued to appoint some Democratic committee chairs — most notably Hob Bryan of Amory as the influential Public Health chair.
Bryan, the longest-serving state senator in the chamber, told Mississippi Today that he had not thoroughly analyzed the full list of committee chairs, but he believed Hosemann appointed qualified people to lead the committees.
“I have great confidence in the presiding officer of the Senate,” Bryan said of Hosemann.
In 2020, Hosemann named 13 Democrats as chairs. On Thursday, he named 10. The 52-member Senate has 41 committees.
Jennifer Branning, R-Philadelphia, who maintained her post as chair of the Transportation Committee, said, “Certainly diversity is not a bad thing. I do think the lieutenant governor recognizes the talent in this chamber. He has made a good effort to capitalize on the talent we have here.”
Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, who will chair Elections Committee, replacing Jeff Tate, R-Merdian, who will chair Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, said he believes Hosemann appointed hard workers as chairs.
“Mississippi is so much different than what they have in Washington,” England said. “… We have some great talent to offer regardless of party.”
Most, if not all, of the committees are comprised of a majority Republican membership that limits a Democratic chair’s power.
FULL LIST: The 2024 Senate committee assignments
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