"Sen. Thad Cochran is expected to lose the chairmanship of the appropriations committee, and Sen. Trent Lott also will move into minority status on key committees. With a combined 46 years of Senate service, both men have been in a position to intervene on behalf of a relatively small, poor state. "
"By their not being in those positions, we all are concerned," Higher Education Commissioner Tom Meredith said Thursday. "They've been fair, but at the same time they've been very supportive."