(AP) – Three Arkansas lawmakers who defected from the
Democratic Party to the GOP over the past two years will be leading top
committees in the House this year.
House Speaker Jeremy Gillam on Monday announced who will chair his chamber’s
committees in the 91st General Assembly. Rep. Joe Jett will chair Revenue and
Taxation, Rep. Jeff Wardlaw will chair Public Health and Rep. Mike Holcomb will
chair Public Transportation.
Jett and Wardlaw both left the Democratic Party last year after the GOP
expanded its majorities in both chambers. Holcomb switched parties in August
2015.
Gillam told reporters that the chairmanships were not offered to the lawmakers
in exchange for their party switches. He noted that Holcomb had previously been
the transportation panel’s vice chairman and that Jett had been the tax
committee’s chairman as a Democrat.
Rep. David Hillman, who left the Democratic Party for the Republican Party
last year, was named vice chairman of the Agriculture, Forestry and Economic
Development Committee.
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