New House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, says House Democrats have lost two seats on the State Affairs Committee and one on the Revenue & Taxation Committee, but maintained their other committee posts, including two seats on the budget-writing Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. The minority lost three seats in the 70-member House in the November election.

Erpelding said he’s satisfied with the changes, “Given that we had four seats on State Affairs. We would rather have protected our three seats on education, which is what we did.” Erpelding said this is an important year for education.