House speaker announces assignments date

Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd announced the meeting to determine House committee assignments will take place Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. in the House Chamber, a news release from the speaker’s office said.

The organizational meeting was originally scheduled to take place Nov. 17, but was postponed due to the undecided race for state House District 56 in Conway, Cecillea Pond-Mayo, a spokeswoman for Shepherd, said.

In the House 56 race, incumbent Democrat Steve Magie defeated Republican Trent Minner by just 10 votes.

House committee assignments are determined largely based on seniority, meaning a change in the House 56 race, would change the order in which members could pick their assignments.

Under House rules, members are ranked by their seniority and pick committee assignments with the most senior members going first. The 10 House standing committees must each have five members from each of the state’s four congressional districts. Members serve on two standing committees each.