Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Jason White have announced committee leadership for their respective sides of the state capitol as lawmakers recently gaveled back in for another session.
While most of the assignments carry over from last year, when it was the beginning of a four-year term, there was some shuffling due to positions left open. For example, former Sen. Jenifer Branning was chair of the Transportation Committee, but with her recent winning of a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, Hosemann was tasked with finding another lawmaker to fill the position.
He ultimately chose Sen. Chuck Younger, who ended his role as chair of the Agriculture Committee to take the driver’s seat on the Transportation Committee. The domino effect resulted in Sen. Neil Whaley hopping from the Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Committee to the Agriculture Committee and Sen. Ben Suber filling the spot left open by Whaley.
The full list of chairs and vice chairs for the House and Senate’s combined 100 committees can be found below. For a full list of all committee members, you can visit the Mississippi Legislature’s official website.
Senate
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
Chair: David Parker (R-Olive Branch) Vice chair: Jason Barrett (R-Brookhaven)
Agriculture
Chair: Neil Whaley (R-Potts Camp) Vice chair: Andy Berry (R-Magee)
Appropriations
Chair: Briggs Hopson (R-Vicksburg) Vice chair: John Polk (R-Hattiesburg)
Business and Financial Institutions
Chair: John Polk (R-Hattiesburg) Vice chair: Chad McMahan (R-Guntown)
Constitution
Chair: Angela Burks Hill (R-Picayune) Vice chair: Derrick Simmons (D-Greenville)
Corrections
Chair: Juan Barnett (D-Heidelberg) Vice chair: Lydia Graves Chassaniol (R-Winona)
County Affairs
Chair: Derrick Simmons (D-Greenville) Vice chair: Mike Seymour (R-Vancleave)
Drug Policy
Chair: Angela Turner-Ford (D-West Point) Vice chair: Angela Burks Hill (R-Picayune)
Economic and Workforce Development
Chair: Daniel Sparks (R-Belmont) Vice chair: Ben Suber (R-Bruce)
Education
Chair: Dennis DeBar (R-Leakesville) Vice chair: David Blount (D-Jackson)
Elections
Chair: Jeremy England (R-Vancleave) Vice chair: Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven)
Energy
Chair: Joel Carter (R-Gulfport) Vice chair: Bart Williams
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