State lawmakers braced snow and icy conditions to make it to the gold dome for the beginning of the legislative session.

State troopers picked up senators and representatives who needed transportation in order to have a quorum. Only 5 of Georgia’s 56 state senators and 14 of Georgia's 180 house members didn’t make it.

After being sworn in, senators decided to change the rules stripping the power to make committee member assignments from Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle.

Those assignments will now be made by a committee of 8 Republican Senators. The move was led by Senate Majority Leader Republican Chip Rogers. He says the rules changes are not about taking away powers.

“Every two years the senate determines what the rules of the senate are going to be. It does not lie within one one person it lies within the body. And the body determined that for the next two years the senate members themselves will determine who sits on what committee, who is the chairman and who is the vice chairman. “

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle still holds the power to assign bills to committees, but won’t be able to control their fate after that.

Tags: Atlanta, Chip Rogers, weather, state Senate, state lawmakers, goergia, bill cowsert, amy kemp, Cacey Calgle