Andy Kanengiser of The Clarion Ledger writes: "He's finally landed the post. House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, selected (Percy) Watson as chairman of the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. McCoy previously led the panel. 'It's a very important assignment,' Watson, an attorney and the first black lawmaker to hold the post, said minutes after clerk Don Richardson read off the list of committee assignments."