TOPEKA – In coming Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick named the list of Chairman’s when the legislative session begins in January.

He split the Energy and Utilities Committee into separate panels for Energy and Environment and for Utilities and Telecommunications.

Joe Seiwert of Pretty Prairie was selected as chairman of the Utilities and Telecommunications Committee for the legislature, while Dennis Hedke of Wichita will head the Energy and Environment Committee.

Others in the area selected to committees include Clark Schultz of McPherson who will head the Insurance Committee, and Marc Rhoades of Newton as head of Appropriations.

Some other moves he made include combining the Children and Family Committee with the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, and he merged the Elections and Local Government committees. He eliminated the Government Efficiency Committee.

The house now has 20-standing committees, down from 22 when Mike O’Neal of Hutchinson was speaker. O’Neal decided against running for re-election and is now the head of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.

*The Associated Press contributed to this story.