An assignment on the House Education Committee was the top pick for many lawmakers during the chamber's organizational session Monday at the Capitol.
The Arkansas House organizational session is a meeting to determine committee assignments for the coming session in January.
Of the 20 most senior lawmakers, eight chose education as their committee assignment, making it the most popular choice along with the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.
House Majority Leader Marcus Richmond, R-Harvey, said in the case of the Education Committee, selections were driven by the priorities of the incoming governor.
Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said education will be a top issue when she takes office in January and released an education plan that calls to "empower parents with more choices" and "reward good teachers with smart incentives."
State Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, said issues such as teacher pay and school choice are why many Republicans want to ensure their presence on the committee.
"For many reasons education is our most sought-after committee," he said. "We had many senior members grab those spots quickly."
Committees are made up of 20 members, with five from each of the state's four Congressional districts in each committee. The selection order is largely determined by seniority with longest-serving members choosing their assignments first. Each representative in the 100-member House serves on two standing committees.
Assignments for the 10 House committees were done in a two-round draft. The first round was for the A Committees: Education; Public Health, Welfare and Labor; Judiciary, Public Transportation and Revenue and Tax. The B Committees, chosen in the same order of seniority, are Aging, Children and Youth; Legislative and Military Affairs; Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development; City Council and Local Affairs; Insurance and Commerce; and State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.
Republican state Rep. Stephen Meeks of Greenbrier is ranked one in seniority in the House.
Meeks chose assignments on the House Education and the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committees. Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, will serve on the Judiciary committee and the Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development committee.
For new members, seniority was determined through selecting a number out of a box. Wade Andrews, a newly elected Republican from Camden, was the first new member to randomly select his rank. He pulled the number 100 out of a box held by legislative staff, drawing a loud laugh and applause from fellow members.
But for most members who aren't high on the seniority list, committee selection can be more haphazard. While the party caucuses may strategize beforehand, plans can be upended once the meeting starts, Richmond said.
"Once it starts it's more like a fantasy football [draft]," he said.
Committee assignments could change. Cecillea Pond-Mayo, a spokeswoman for Shepherd, could not provide a final list of committee assignments by publication time for this article because members had the opportunity to trade their spots by the end of business Monday.
There will be only 18 Democrats in the House for the next session, and one committee -- the Revenue and Taxation Committee -- will have no Democrats serving on it. The Education Committee has only two Democrats; the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee has five; the Public Transportation has four and the Judiciary Committee has seven members from the minority party.
"We lost some strong public school people from the last sessions," said House Minority Leader Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock. "So after all the trades go through it will be interesting to see how the committee plays out."
McCullough will serve on Judiciary Committee along with fellow Democrats Nicole Clowney of Fayetteville, Ashley Hudson of Little Rock, Andrew Collins of Little Rock, Jamie Scott of North Little Rock, Jay Richardson of Fort Smith and Milton Nicks Jr. of Marion.
"Judiciary was just kind of what was left, and we want to make sure our attorneys get on that committee," McCullough said. "There is no strategy to stack because we don't have the numbers."
The Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee also was a popular pick for the House's most senior members with six of the top 10 selections going to that committee. For many senior members, it was a return to a place where they already served.
Rep. Richard Womack, R- Arkadelphia, said he has served on the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee previously, and with his family being involved in healthcare the committee is important to him.
"I can depend on my family and friends to give me good, unbiased opinions, so it's a good fit," he said.
Rep. Bruce Cozart, who chaired the House Education Committee in the last session, will remain on that committee but will give up the gavel. Cozart, R-Hot Springs, will return to duty on the House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee, where he served in the previous session.
Newly elected state Rep. Steven Walker, R-Horseshoe Bend, who was ranked 75 in seniority, landed an unlikely spot on the Education Committee. The digital learning specialist with the Arkansas Department of Education, who also taught middle school science, said the "luck of the draw" went his way.
"I couldn't believe there was a chance, and when it happened I was pretty shocked," he said. "I feel like education is my area."