Topeka ? The House will no longer have a committee devoted solely to higher education issues under a reorganization released Wednesday by the chamber’s new leadership team.

The duties of the Higher Education Committee, which had been chaired by state Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, will be rolled into the House Education Committee, which will be chaired by Clay Aurand, R-Courtland, when the legislative session starts Jan. 8.

“The leadership team has worked together to streamline committees,” said House Speaker-elect Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls. “We have a great pool of experienced and capable leaders to choose from and feel confident that we have equipped each committee with a first-rate chair and vice chair.”

Sloan did not return a telephone call for comment.

Kip Peterson, a spokesman for the Kansas Board of Regents, said he was confident that higher education issues would be addressed “with the same thoughtful approach as other committees had done in the past.”

Rachelle Colombo, a spokeswoman for the House leadership team, said the House Education Committee would be able to work on higher education issues because public school finance would not be as big of an issue during the next session as it has in the past several sessions.

Several other committees were rolled into others, including Financial Institutions into Insurance; Environment into Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Wildlife and Parks into Economic Development and Tourism.

Select committees on school finance and health care were not reappointed.

Around the area, Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, who challenged Neufeld in the speaker’s race, retained his chairmanship of the House tax committee. Lee Tafanelli, R-Ozawkie, was named vice chairman of the House budget committee, and Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, was made vice chairman of the Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee.