Newly elected Republican Representatives William Slater and Kevin Raper don’t even have their pictures posted yet on the Tennessee General Assembly website, but both are now occupying leadership positions in key House Committees.
Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton appointed Slater as the Vice-Chair of the House Education Administration Committee Thursday and assigned Raper to be the House Education Instruction Committee Vice-Chair.
Slater won the 35th House seat in November to represent Trousdale County and part of Sumner County. Raper won the 24th House seat that encompasses part of Bradley County.
Each education bill that’s filed will need to pass at least one of the two committees before going to the full House for approval.
“I am honored to be appointed by Speaker Sexton as the Vice Chair of the House Education Administration Committee. I look forward to serving with Chairman White and the rest of the committee to continually improve education for all Tennessee students,” said Slater.
The two House education committees will have 16 new members this session the three House education subcommittees will have 22 new members.
Among the noticeable changes, Representative Scott Cepicky is no longer on the House Education Administration Committee or K-12 Subcommittee but he’s remaining the Chair of the Education Instruction Subcommittee and a member of the House Education Instruction Committee. The Republican from Culleoka was one of the few Republicans who opposed the historic Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act last session.
Additionally, Speaker Sexton appointed newly elected Brentwood Republican Representative Gino Bulso to the House Education Administration Committee and K-12 Subcommittee.
Democratic Representative Harold Love is off the K-12 Subcommittee and now on the Higher Education Subcommittee and Democratic Representative Yusuf Hakeem has been moved off the Education Administration Committee and Higher Education Subcommittee and on to the House Education Instruction Committee and Subcommittee.
Democratic Representative John Ray Clemmons is no longer on any education committee or subcommittee.
Senate Assignments
Lt. Governor Randy McNally also made committee appointments Thursday though the Senate Education Committee is not seeing the same level of turnover as the House committees.
That committee only has two new members, Senator Mark Pody of Lebanon and Senator Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga.
Senator Jon Lundberg remains the Chair of the committee and Sen. Raumesh Akbari remains the 2nd Vice-Chair. Sen. Bill Powers is taking over as the new 1st Vice-Chair.
Full Committee Assignments
(* indicates newly assigned)
Senate Education Committee
Chair – Jon Lundberg
1st. Vice-Chair – Bill Powers
2nd Vice- Chair – Raumesh Akbari
Rusty Crowe
Todd Gardenhire *
Ferrell Haile
Joey Hensley
Mark Pody *
Dawn White
House Education Administration Committee
Chair – Mark White
Vice-Chair – William Slater*
Charlie Baum
Gino Bulso*
Ed Butler*
Monty Fritts*
Ron Gant*
John Gillespie
Kirk Haston
Chris Hurt
Justin Jones *
Justin Lafferty
Harold Love
Sam McKenzie
Antonio Parkinson
John Ragan
K-12 Subcommittee
Chair – Kirk Haston
Gino Bulso*
Chris Hurt*
Sam McKenzie*
Bryan Richey*
William Slater*
Robert Stevens*
Todd Warner*
Mark White
Bryan Richey*
Robert Stevens*
Todd Warner*
Higher Education Subcommittee
Chair – Justin Lafferty
Charlie Baum
Ed Butler*
Monty Fritts*
John Gillespie
Kirk Haston*
Harold Love*
Antonio Parkinson
Mark White
House Education Instruction Committee
Chair – Debra Moody
Vice-Chair – Kevin Raper*
Scott Cepicky
Jesse Chism*
Mark Cochran*
Tandy Darby*
Vincent Dixie
Ronnie Glynn*
Yusuf Hakeem*
Tim Hicks
Gloria Johnson*
Tom Leatherwood*
Jake McCalmon*
John Ragan
Chris Todd*
Todd Warner
Mark White
Education Instruction Subcommittee
Chair – Scott Cepicky
Jesse Chism*
Ronnie Glynn*
Yusuf Hakeem*
Tim Hicks
Gloria Johnson*
Tom Leatherwood*
Jake McCalmon*
Debra Moody
John Ragan
Kevin Raper*
Todd Warner
Mark White*
