William Burton Jones (born April 25,1979) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 13th lieutenant governor of Georgia since 2023.[1] A member of the Republican Party,he previously served as a member of the Georgia State Senate from January 2013 to January 2023,representing the 25th District.
An oil executive,[4][5] he is heir to the Jones Petroleum Company.[6]
In 2004,[7] Jones founded JP Capital &Insurance,Inc.,an insurance business in Jackson,Georgia.[3][8][9] The insurance and lending company is a subsidiary of Jones Petroleum Co.[7][10]
Political career
Butts County Water &Sewage Authority
Jones served as a member of the board of directors of the Butts County Water and Sewage Authority from 2009-2021.[11] Following Jones' departure,his father,Bill Jones,took his spot on the board of directors.[12] While a board member,he voted to raise water and sewer rates.[13]
Georgia Senate
In June of 2012,Jones announced his intent to challenge three term incumbent State Senator Johnny Grant.[14] Jones,who framed himself as an outsider businessman ultimately defeated Grant 52.7% to 47.3% in the 2012 Republican Party Primary.[15]
Jones was elected a member of the state Senate in 2012,and he took office in 2013.[16] During his time in the state Senate,Jones served as the Chairman of the Insurance and Labor Committee,Chairman of the Banking &Financial Institutions Committee and as a member of the Appropriations and Transportation Committees.[2] While a member,Jones voted to establish a flat income tax rate,[17] prohibit teaching about systemic racism in schools,[18] and he co-sponsored legislation to allow biblical classes to be taught in high schools.[18]
Endorsement of Donald J. Trump for President
In 2015,Jones was the first member of the Georgia General Assembly to endorse businessman Donald J. Trump in the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary. “Sometimes it might not be the most politically correct — as they say — thing to say,but he doesn’t back down and he doesn’t apologize for it,”Jones said in August of 2015. “I think people are looking for that in a leader now.”[19]
Support for Adoptable Dogs
In 2016,Jones,along with State Rep. Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs) led the push on Senate Bill 168 to declare “adoptable dog”as the official state dog of Georgia despite pushback from his Republican colleagues. Jones has also been a vocal leader on increasing funding for animal shelters and abused dog rescue efforts.[20]
Student Athlete expression of personal religious beliefs during sporting events
In 2016,Jones led on Senate Bill 309,which allows for student athletes to express their personal religious beliefs during sporting events and enables high schools,which receive state funding,to participate in athletic competitions with schools outside of their designated conference. It was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on May 3,2016.
Upon final signature Jones was quoted,“I’m grateful Governor Deal signed this legislation into law. Expressing ones beliefs and principles is a right that no one should be denied. It is also a huge step in the right direction to let athletes compete with members outside of their conference because it will increase the drive,skill level and motivation for athletes around the state. With increased competition,they will be motivated to do the best they can to stay at the top of their game.”[21]
Attempt to overturn 2020 presidential election results
While some Georgia Republicans acknowledged Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election,Jones denied the election results and promoted Trump's false claims of election irregularities.[22][23] In December 2020,Jones was one of four state Senate Republicans who signed a petition calling on the Georgia General Assembly to overrule the outcome of democratic elections within the state and "take back the power to appoint electors."[22] The petition called on Governor Brian Kemp to convene a special session of the legislature to award Georgia's 16 electors to Trump,who narrowly lost the state.[24] Kemp denied the request.[24]
On January 5,2021,hours before the U.S. Senate certified the electoral votes from the 2020 election,Jones brought a letter signed by himself and 16 other state legislators attempting to delay the certification.[25] While Jones had a private audience with Vice President Mike Pence that evening he decided against delivering the letter instead leaving it with his Uber driver.[25]
On January 19,2021,Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan stripped Jones of his chairmanship and membership of the state Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.[23][26] Over a series of months in 2021,Jones continued to question the results of the presidential election in Georgia.[27] In July 2021,Jones was featured at a pro-Trump convention in Rome,Georgia,centering on Trump's false claims of election fraud.[8]
In January 2022,the Justice Department began a criminal investigation into Jones as one of the false electors who attempted to forge electoral certificates for the State of Georgia after the 2020 election.[28] In July 2022,Fulton County,Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis announced that she had sent a target letter to Jones and two other Republican officials,warning them that they face indictment in connection with the fake electors scheme,which was part of the attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.[29] Judge Robert McBurney blocked Fani Willis from building a case against Jones because she planned to host a fundraiser for Charlie Bailey,the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor.[30]
On August 14,2023,Jones was named as unindicted co-conspirator #8 as part of the Fulton County indictment against Donald Trump and 18 others in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election,[31] and in April 2024 the Prosecuting Attorneys’Council of Georgia announced that it was investigating whether to move forward with criminal charges against him.[32]
Jones announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in August 2021.[33] During his campaign,Jones continued to cast doubt on the validity of the 2020 presidential election.[34]Donald Trump endorsed Jones.[34][35] Jones voiced support for same-sex marriage during his campaign.[36]
In 2022,the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission fined Jones $1,000 for filming and tweeting a campaign video the previous year before filing the paperwork necessary to accept campaign contributions and make campaign consent orders. The Commission's consent order said that Jones' campaign had accepted responsibility for the error.[37] Between February and May 2022,Jones used his family's private aircraft to travel to campaign events,without reporting the flights' costs as expenses and in-kind contributions on disclosure forms;Jones' campaign said that he intended to report the costs as a single line item after the primary election was over,although Georgia law requires expenses and contributions to be disclosed as they are made.[38][39]
In the May 2022 Republican primary,Jones defeated Butch Miller,with Jones receiving 50.1% of the vote,Miller 31.1%,Mack McGregor 11.3%,and Jeanne Seaver 7.5%.[40] Obtaining a majority,he narrowly avoided a runoff election.[41] Of Georgia's 159 counties,Jones received the most votes in 153 counties,and Miller received the most votes in six counties.[40] He went on to defeat Democratic nominee Charlie Bailey in the November 8th general election,by 5%.[42] Jones was sworn in on January 9,2023.[43]
Lieutenant Governor
Following his swearing in,Jones laid out his legislative agenda for the 2023 session. Included was seeking out extra funding for K-12 school counselors,eliminating the state income tax,and no further restrictions on abortion following the 2019 law.[44] During the 2023 state budget negotiations,Jones pushed for a new hospital regulations that would allow counties with fewer than 50,000 residents "to build hospitals without first obtaining a costly “certificate of need”from state regulators." One such hospital was potentially going to be built in Butts County,Jones' hometown,on land owned by Bill Jones,Burt's father.[45][46] Ultimately the provision was not included,and the state budget passed the state Senate on March 29,2023.[46][47][48]
Opposition to additional state spending on Diversity,Equity,and Inclusion in University System
In Jones’letter to Perdue,he said:“In light of concerns you and other officials from the University System have expressed about the potential need to raise tuition or cut programs and services that are currently offered,I would like to learn more about how the University System spends the funds it receives."[49]
Jones' words came in response to a $66 million dollar slate of cuts to the state college program as part of the 2023 budget that Perdue felt as harmful.[50]
↑ Maya T. Prabhu, Burt Jones will run for Georgia lieutenant governor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (August 21, 2021): "A state senator and wealthy oil executive who has spent the past nine months questioning the results of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election"
↑ Maya T. Prabhu, Republican Burt Jones officially launches lieutenant governor campaign, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (August 10, 2021): "Jones, who has spent the past nine months questioning the results of Georgia's presidential election in which his candidate, Donald Trump, lost but spouted conspiracy theories that the election was stolen"
Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant:
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