Throughout the NC General Assembly’s assault on LGBT rights in North Carolina this week, one State Senator has been a tireless ally for equality. His name is Jeff Jackson and he represents District 37, Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, where I have lived for twelve years. I would like to introduce him to the community because I think he's a rising star in the General Assembly who deserves our support.
Here is his Facebook page, and here's what he had to say about the emergency session as it was happening on March 23.
From his website:
Jeff’s career in public service began after the attacks of September 11th, when he enlisted as a Private in the Army Reserve. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was stationed in the tribal region north of Kandahar for his year-long deployment. After he came home he went to law school at UNC-Chapel Hill with help from the G.I. Bill.
Jeff’s military service continues to this day as a Captain in the JAG Corps with the Army National Guard. He drills monthly with the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade based in Charlotte.
Prior to joining the state Senate, Jeff worked as an assistant district attorney and tried over one hundred cases ranging from DWI to first degree murder. In the process, he saw up close the results of too little investment in public education, economic development, and mental health care.
Now the youngest Democratic state Senator in North Carolina, Jeff has helped build a bipartisan coalition to end gerrymandering, has formed the state’s first Early Childhood Education Caucus, and has introduced a number of bills to make commonsense changes to our criminal laws, including a bill that will help thousands of North Carolina citizens regain the right to drive.
Jackson's election followed a scandal that sent former Charlotte mayor Patrick Cannon (D) to prison on corruption charges in 2014.
Democrats on Saturday [May 3, 2014] elected Jeff Jackson to represent Mecklenburg County as the new District 37 state senator.
The 31-year-old assistant district attorney replaces former state Sen. Dan Clodfelter, a Charlotte Democrat who resigned last month after being tapped to succeed former Mayor Patrick Cannon, who was arrested in March on federal corruption charges.
A total of 49 Democrats voted; arcane party rules determine the number of voters.
Jackson will not only serve the remainder of Clodfelter’s current term, but take his place on the November ballot where he will run unopposed for a full two-year term.
Until this week, Jackson’s main claim to fame was finding himself home alone in the NC General Assembly during an ice storm and taking the opportunity to get some shit done.
Via buzzfeed
His Twitter feed is a virtual wealth of commentary, links and retweets of allies against HB2. After Friday’s vote:
Saturday:
This is interesting.
Still swinging today:
Politicians who have now pissed off a roomful of CEOs and Michael Jordan himself. Here’s to one of the good guys, and to electing more like him this year.
