Senate announces committee picks Thursday. See who is in charge

After a tree dedication ceremony honoring former House Speaker Philip Gunn, lawmakers in the Mississippi Senate met to announce which legislators will serve as chairs for committees, as well as who would serve on them.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who is also the president of the Senate, told lawmakers he and his staff had worked long to choose who would head up the 41 committees, and who would better serve on what boards.

“We have spent hundreds of hours working on these assignments," Hosemann said. "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; secondly, where they are best positioned to serve the Mississippi Senate, and finally, to honor each Senator’s committee preferences where it was feasible to do so. We have a great team, and I’m ready to get to work on the challenges and opportunities awaiting us this term.”

Legislators are chosen for committees based on a number of factors, including experience, preference and the Senate president's judgment, according to Senate rules.

Mississippi Senate Chairs and co chairs:

• Appropriations: W. Briggs Hopson, R, representing Issaquena, Madison, Warren and Yazoo counties, and John Polk, R, representing Lamar County.

• Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency: David Parker, R, representing DeSoto County, and Jason Barrett, R, serving Amite, Franklin, Lawrence, Lincoln and Pike Counties.

• Agriculture: Chuck Younger, R, representing Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha counties, and Andy Berry, R, serving Copiah, Jefferson, Davis, Lawrence and Simpson Counties.

• Business and Financial Institutions: John Polk, and Chad McMahan, R, representing Lee County.

• Constitution: Angela Burks Hill, R, serving Pearl River and Stone counties, and Derrick Simmons, D, serving Bolivar, Coahoma and Washington counties.

• Corrections: Juan Barnett, D, representing Forrest, Jasper and Jones counties, and Lydia Graves Chassaniol, R, serving Attala, Carrol, Grenada, Leflore and Montgomery counties.

• County Affairs: Derrick Simmons, and Joseph Seymour, R, serving Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties.

• Drug Policy: Angela Turner Ford, D, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties and Angela Burks Hill.

• Economic and Workforce Development: Daniel Sparks, R, representing Itawamba, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties, and Benjamin Suber, R, serving Calhoun, Chickasaw, Lafayette, Pontotoc and Yalobusha counties.

• Education: Dennis DeBar Jr., R, representing George, Greene and Wayne counties, and David Blount, D, serving Hinds County.

• Elections: Jeremy England, R, representing Jackson County, and Kevin Blackwell, R, serving DeSoto County.

• Energy: Joel Carter Jr., R, representing Harrison County, and Bart Williams, R, serving Choctaw, Montgomery, Oktibbeha and Webster counties.

• Enrolled Bills: David Jordan, D, representing Leflore, Panola and Tallahatchie counties, and Juan Barnett, D, serving Forrest, Jasper and Jones counties.

• Environmental Protection, Conservation and Water Resources: Scott DeLano, R, representing Harrison County, and Mike Thompson, R, serving Hancock and Harrison counties.

• Ethics: Joseph M. Seymour, and Gary Brumfield, D, serving Adams, Amite, Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson counties.

• Executive Contingent Fund: Sollie B. Norwood, D, representing Hinds County, and Angela Turner Ford.

• Finance: Josh Harkins, R, representing Rankin County, and Chris Johnson, R, serving Forrest and Perry counties.

• Forestry: Tyler McCaughn, R, representing Lauderdale, Newton, Rankin and Scott counties.

• Gaming: David Blount, and Chuck Younger

• Government Structure: Chris Johnson, and Jenifer B. Branning, R, serving Leake, Neshoba and Winston counties.

• Highways and Transportation: Jenifer Branning, and Rita Potts Parks, R, serving Alcorn and Tippah counties.

• Housing: John Horhn, D, representing Hinds and Madison counties, and Jeff Tate, R, serving Clarke and Lauderdale counties.

• Insurance: J. Walter Michel, R, representing Hinds and Madison Counties, and Michael McLendon, R, serving DeSoto County.

• Interstate and Federal Cooperation: Hillman Terome Frazier, D, representing Hinds County, and Sollie B. Norwood.

• Investigate State Offices: Albert Butler, D, representing Adams, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds and Jefferson counties, and Sarita Simmons, serving Bolivar, Sunflower and Tallahatchie counties.

• Judiciary, Division A: Brice Wiggins, R, representing Jackson County, and Tyler McCaughn.

• Judiciary B: Joey Fillingane, R, representing Covington, Lamar, Marion, Walthall counties, and Daniel Sparks.

• Labor: Jason Barrett, and Joseph Thomas, D, representing Humphry's, Madison, Sharkey and Yazoo counties.

• Local and Private: Rita Potts Parks, and Neil S. Whaley, R, serving Lafayette, Marshall, Tate and Union counties.

• Medicaid: Kevin Blackwell, and Nicole Boyd, R, serving Lafayette and Panola counties.

• Municipalities: Chad McMahan, and Rod Hickman, D, serving Kemper, Lauderdale, Noxubee and Winston counties.

• Ports and Marine Resources: Mike Thompson, and Jeremy England, R, serving Jackson County.

• Public Health and Welfare: Hob Bryan, D, representing Itawamba, Lee and Monroe counties, and David Parker.

• Public Property: Benjamin Suber, and Albert Butler.

• State Library: Michael McLendon, and Reginald Jackson, D, Coahoma, DeSoto, Quitman, Tate and Tunica counties.

• Technology: Bart Williams, and Bradford Blackmon, D, serving Attala, Holmes, Leake and Madison counties.

• Tourism: Lydia Graves Chassaniol, and Robin Robinson, R, serving Forrest, Greene, Jones and Wayne counties.

• Universities and Colleges: Nicole Boyd, R, representing Lafeyette and Panola counties, and Scott DeLano.

• Veterans and Military Affairs: Jeff Tate and John Horhn.

• Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks: Neil S. Whaley, R, representing Lafeyette, Marshall, Tate and Union counties, and Philman Ladner, R, serving Hancock and Harrison counties.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Senate Commitee chairs, members announced Thursday