MERIDIAN —     Come January, things will be a little different in the halls of the Mississippi Capitol.

    For the first time since Reconstruction both houses will be controlled by Republicans. And the heads of each — Lt. Gov.-elect Tate Reeves and expected Speaker of the House, state Rep. Phillip Gunn — will be Republicans. Throw Republican Gov.-elect Phil Bryant in the mix and you have a sea of red in Jackson — politically speaking.

    What will that mean for the state, particularly this part of the state?

    For starters, both Dist. 83 state Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, and Dist. 81 state Rep. Steve Horne, R-Meridian, have a really good shot at being appointed chairmen — or at least appointed to serve on — some important committees. That's certainly something they wouldn't have seen under another four years of a Democrat-controlled House.    Snowden is known as a heady legislator who fully comprehends the intimate details of legislation. In other words, he understands the minutia that often is state government. But he's also known as a staunch, hard-line conservative. While that far-right stance didn't always play well with former speaker Billy McCoy, it will likely help under Gunn's leadership.

    Likewise Horne is a known conservative … albeit a bit of a different breed. Horne is not near as vocal as Snowden and isn't one to tweet or blog about an issue. But his conservative roots are just as deep. He's a dedicated watch-dog who has shown he is more concerned about public integrity than making friends in Jackson.

    Horne and Gunn have a healthy respect for each other. Snowden and Gunn are also personal friends who have a lot in common. Both are lawyers, Southern Baptists and both have often found themselves on the wrong side of McCoy's leadership. To put it bluntly, they were virtually powerless in state government during their previous terms.

    But that all changes come January.

    As Snowden himself put it:  "It's a whole different world. There's only so much you can do in the minority."

Gunn said under his leadership the House will move quickly on a Republican agenda. He said the election gave his party a mandate.

    Among the items Gunn said would be taken up early is legislation to restrict the attorney general's ability to hire outside counsel to bring lawsuits.

    Snowden said he expects to see, "sweeping changes from a structural standpoint, a political leadership standpoint, and a policy standpoint."

    Aside from the obvious benefits for Snowden and Horne, that should also play dividends for newcomer William Shirley in Dist. 84. Shirley quietly defeated former Lauderdale County Supervisor Craig Hitt in the Republican primary and then breezed to victory in the general election. He hopes to also quietly land on some important committees when he's sworn into office in January. The "R" by his name will certainly help; he'll be on the right team.

    Newly-elected Dist. 82 state Rep. Charles Young Jr. may have a tougher time because, if for no other reason, he's a Democrat. The good news: Young knows his way around the state capitol, has relationships with other lawmakers and isn't a divisive figure. That, along with his father's legacy, will help him in his first year.

    In the end, Snowden and Horne stand to be the ones from the East Mississippi delegation who gain the most due to the change in leadership. We believe Snowden should be named chair to either Judiciary A or B committees in the Mississippi House — one of the top five committees of influence in the Legislature. For Horne, a spot on Local and Private and PEER committees would be a good move — and would provide a much-needed bulldog to oversee important issues.

    Either way, East Mississippi's influence in the Mississippi House will be vastly different in the coming legislative session.