GOP has big edge on some Senate panels

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Editorial, 1/15/8

It’s interesting sometimes to look below the surface.

During his successful 2007 campaign for lieutenant governor, Phil Bryant stressed that he would place fellow Republicans in the key Senate committee chairs of Appropriations and Finance.

To Bryant’s credit, he did not make any bones about it. He was up front.

But he also said he would be diverse in his committee appointments. Certainly, on the surface, Bryant, who announced his committee appointments last week, can argue he fulfilled his campaign promise. Republican Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo was appointed to chair Appropriations while Republican Dean Kirby of Pearl was tabbed to head Finance.

Democrats hold a 28-24 advantage in the Senate. They could theoretically change the rules and take from Bryant the power to make committee assignments. To be perfectly honest, though, a handful of Democrats who normally vote with the Republican probably would not have gone along with that rules change.