LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — You know the age-old saying— out with the old, and in with the new. That's exactly what happened on Monday as new Arkansas lawmakers were sworn in.
"Today is something new," newly-elected Representative R.J. Hawk, (R)-Bryant, said. "You've got freshness."
Member by member, all 26 new and 74 returning House members took their oath of office. While they may be new, there are plenty of issues for them to tackle.
"They say it's like drinking water out of a fire hose," Hawk said. "I always say it's like going to stick your mouth right on the fire hydrant and turning it on!"
From prison reform to education changes, taxes to teacher pay, the session was set to be busy.
"Now you're getting in the bullets flying right now, and so I'm looking forward to it," Hawk said. "It's gonna be a great time and I think we can do a lot of good things for our state."
Of course, the House wasn't the only one sworn in Monday— so was the Senate.
13 new Senators took their oath of office, including Senator Reginald Murdock.
"I'm anxious, but I'm carefully just watching as we go," Sen. Murdock, (D)-Marianna, said.
Murdock will tell you the same as Hawk— there's a lot to look forward to in this session.
Though at the top of his mind, is teacher pay.
"We just really need to show them appreciation," Murdock said. "We have the dollars to do it, they just need to become a priority."
There is one big thing members seem to be waiting on, and that's Governor-Elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders' inauguration on Tuesday.
"Once those specifics are rolled out whether it's on her pieces of legislation or on other pieces of legislation from individual members," House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, (R)-El Dorado, said.
That's exactly what these members plan to do. While it may just be the first day, there's still plenty to be done.
"When you're on the campaign trail, it's Democrats versus Republicans," Hawk said. "When you get in between these walls, we all come together as Arkansans."
The session resumes Tuesday morning.