Jan Jones (Georgia politician)

Jan Slaughter Jones (born January 28, 1958) is an elected state representative in the U.S. state of Georgia. She serves in the Georgia House of Representatives since January 13, 2003, which meets in the Capitol building in Atlanta. Her constituents include some of the northern Atlanta suburbs in Georgia's 47th district including parts of Milton and parts of Roswell and Alpharetta.[1] She is a Republican and is currently the majority Speaker Pro Tempore—a position she has held since 2010.[2] While in the legislature, she has focused on several initiatives, most notably spearheading the creation of the north Fulton County city of Milton.[3][4][5]

Jan Jones
Speaker pro tempore of the Georgia House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 11, 2010
Preceded byMark Burkhalter
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 47th district
Assumed office
January 14, 2013
Preceded byChuck Martin
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 46th district
In office
January 10, 2005 – January 14, 2013
Preceded byBill Hembree
Succeeded byJohn Carson
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 38th district
In office
January 13, 2003 – January 10, 2005
Preceded byRoger Hines
Succeeded bySteve Tumlin
Personal details
Born (1958-01-28) January 28, 1958
Warner Robins, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Kalin Jones
Children4
EducationUniversity of Georgia (BA)
Georgia State University (MBA)

Early life, education, and family

Jones was born in Warner Robins, Georgia. She is the granddaughter of two Laurens County, Georgia farmers and the daughter of a career soldier. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia.[2] She later received an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. She is a former marketing manager for HBO and has also owned a home-based small business.

Georgia House of Representatives

Jones was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2002, taking office on January 13, 2003. She represents parts of North Fulton County, including Milton, Georgia, Mountain Park, Georgia, Alpharetta, Georgia, and Roswell, Georgia. Three years after taking office, Jones initiated and wrote the charter to create the City of Milton, Georgia.

For the 2005-2006 legislative session, Jones served as Chairman of the House Appropriations Education sub-committee, which oversees funding for Georgia's Department of Education and other state agencies. Subsequently, she briefly served as the House Republican Majority Whip.

In 2009, Jones led the passage of landmark Georgia legislation, the Move on When Ready (MOWR) Act, which established Georgia's dual-enrollment program. This program allows qualified 11th and 12th grade public school students to leave high school and complete graduation requirements while receiving college credit at a Georgia college or technical school. The program is funded by the State of Georgia through the HOPE Scholarship which is administered through the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

Speaker Pro Tempore (2010 - present)

In 2010, Jones was elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the Georgia House, becoming the first female to serve in the role and the highest-ranking woman in Georgia legislative history.[6] This is the second-highest leadership position in the Georgia House of Representatives.

In 2016, Jones authored legislation that adds an extra 0.5 point GPA weight for STEM courses for students who qualify for Georgia's merit-based HOPE Scholarship program. HB 801 passed the Georgia House unanimously and was ultimately signed by Governor Nathan Deal. Courses are determined by the Georgia Board of Regents. The bill took effect for the 2017-2018 academic year.

GRACE Commission

First Lady of Georgia Marty Kemp appointed Jones one of her co-chairs of the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission, along with Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Vic Reynolds. The GRACE Commission is composed of public officials, law enforcement, for-profit and non-profit organizations, faith-based institutions, and subject matter experts to tackle human trafficking, seek justice for victims, hold bad actors accountable, and end human trafficking. [7]

Committee assignments

Since the 2015-2016 legislative session, Jones had served on the following Georgia House standing committees: Appropriations, Education, Ethics, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Regulated Industries, and Rules. As Speaker Pro Tempore, she is an ex-officio member of every standing committee.

Personal life

Jones and her husband, Kalin, have four children. They reside in Milton, Georgia. The family worships at Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.

References
  1. "Representative Jan Jones". www.house.ga.gov.
  2. Tharpe, Jim. "Jan Jones could bring big changes to Georgia House". ajc.
  3. "Milton breaks ground on City Hall".
  4. "About Milton - City of Milton, GA". www.cityofmiltonga.us.
  5. http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20052006/60909.pdf
  6. Sturgeon, Kathleen (October 1, 2019). "House Speaker Pro Tem Jones Applies For U.S. Senate Appointment". Alpharetta-Milton, GA Patch. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  7. "Grace Commission". Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the Governor. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
Georgia House of Representatives
Preceded by
Roger Hines		 Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 38th district
January 13, 2003–January 10, 2005		 Succeeded by
Steve Tumlin
Preceded by
Bill Hembree		 Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 46th district
January 10, 2005–January 14, 2013		 Succeeded by
John Carson
Preceded by
Chuck Martin		 Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 47th district
January 14, 2013–present		 Incumbent
Georgia House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mark Burkhalter		 Speaker pro tempore of the Georgia House of Representatives
2010–present		 Incumbent
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