Emil Jones, Jr.
| Emil Jones | |
|---|---|
 |
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| President of the Illinois Senate | |
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In office January 8, 2003 – January 14, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | James Philip |
| Succeeded by | John Cullerton |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 14th district |
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In office 1983–2009 |
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| Succeeded by | Emil Jones III |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 18, 1935 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Lorrie Jones |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Emil Jones, Jr. (born October 18, 1935) was the President of the Illinois Senate from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Jones served in the Illinois Senate from 1983 to 2009, where he served as President of the Illinois Senate from 2003 to the end of his term. Previously, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1973 until 1983.
Jones studied at Chicago's Tilden Technical High School, where he graduated in 1953. He went on to earn an Associate in Arts degree from the Loop Junior College (now Harold Washington College). Thereafter he attended Roosevelt University, where he majored in Business Administration.
In 2004, Roosevelt University awarded Jones a Doctorate of Humane Letters Honoris Causa Degree. Chicago State University awarded Jones an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
The son of a Chicago Democratic precinct captain, Jones began his political career working for John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election.
Seven years later, he went to work as an alderman's assistant. His career included 30 years on the city payroll, 20 with the Sewer Department, where he retired as an inspector in 1993.
Jones began his elected career in 1973, when he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. He served in that capacity from 1973 to 1983. During that time he served as the Chairman of the Insurance Committee and was an Assistant Democratic Leader. In 1982 he was elected to the Illinois Senate. In addition to being the president of the Senate, he also serves as a member of the Executive Committee. He lost Democratic primary bids for a congressional seat in 1988 and 1995.
Jones had a big hand in Barack Obama’s 2004 U.S. Senate win by introducing the then little-known liberal state senator to the right people and letting him handle some important legislation to help raise his political profile. In 2008, Jones at first refused to call the Senate into session to vote on ethics legislation that had passed the House, saying that the 15-day limit for the Senate to look at the legislation didn't come into effect until the Senate came back into session. After Obama urged Jones to change his mind, Jones released a statement saying he would call the Senate into session, saying in a statement: “I plan to call the Senate back into session to deal with the issue of ethics, only at the request of my friend Barack Obama. I still stand by our interpretation of the 15-day rule.”
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