Rep. Karl Oliver, R-Winona, was the only Greenwood-area legislator selected for a House leadership position on Friday in Jackson.
Oliver was tapped as vice-chairman of the Forestry Committee, which will be chaired by Rep. Ken Morgan, R-Morgantown.
Oliver’s appointment is in keeping with a general trend of Republican consolidation of power in the House, where the GOP holds a three-fifths majority.
Neither Rep. Willie Perkins, D-Greenwood, nor Rep. Kevin Horan, D-Grenada, was appointed to chair or vice-chair of any committees.
Oliver could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
“We just worked very hard to bring conservative leaadership to the state, and we had a really good campaign cycle,” said Speaker Philip Gunn.
“The people that are in leadership positions now are the ones who helped us get there, who helped buy into the conservative agenda we think is right for Mississippi.”
Gunn named only two Democrats to lead committees, down from nine in the last term.
“It doesn’t make sense to advance a particular agenda and then put the other team in charge of that,” said Gunn.
Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia, will continue to chair the Energy Committee.
Deborah Butler Dixon, D-Raymond, was tapped as chair of Youth and Family Affairs.
Both Democrats have histories of voting with Republicans in the past.
Cockerham was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans in a Jan. 20 dispute over a tied House election. The House voted to 67-49 to declare Mark Tullos, R-Raleigh, winner of the District 79 seat, resulting in the defeat of incumbent Democrat Bo Eaton.
Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, replaced as head of the Transportation Committee by Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, said he was not surprised with the low number of Democrats appointed as leaders this term.
“It’s a Republican House, totally. We’ll see where it goes,” said Johnson, who remains a member of the Transportation Committee. “The state still needs good roads, and we need them urgently in the Delta and in southwest Mississippi.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
• Contact Nick Rogers at 581-7235 or nrogers@gwcommonwealth.com.
