This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages) |
Jerry Knowles | |
---|---|
Member of the PennsylvaniaHouseofRepresentatives from the 124th district | |
In office May 19, 2009 –November 30, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Dave Argall |
Succeeded by | Jamie Barton |
Personal details | |
Born | Coaldale,Pennsylvania,U.S. | July 30,1948
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Lorraine |
Residence(s) | Tamaqua,Pennsylvania,U.S. |
Jerome P. Knowles (born July 30,1948) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 124th legislative district. [1]
Knowles was first elected in a special election in May 2009 to fill the vacancy left by Dave Argall,who was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate to succeed the late Senator James J. Rhoades. He defeated his Democratic opponent,Bill Mackey,with more than 70% of the vote.
Prior to his election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly,Knowles served as councilman and mayor of Tamaqua,Pennsylvania and later a Schuylkill County commissioner.
Knowles sat on the Judiciary and Local Government committees. [2] He announced in February 2022 that he would not seek re-election. He was succeeded by businessman Jamie Barton.
Knowles opposes legalizing adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania,calling it a "dangerous and illegal drug". He also opposes lessening the criminal penalties of cannabis possession. [3] In addition,he introduced a bill that would eliminate state funding to municipalities that support or operate safe injection sites for drug users. [4]
During the COVID-19 pandemic,Knowles put out a statement advocating for his constituents to stay vigilant [5] he voted to end the Governor's emergency stay-at-home order [6] and pushed for the governor to ease restrictions on his county. [7] As public schools began to consider reopening for in-person classes,Knowles began soliciting co-sponsors for legislation that would roll back mandatory mask wearing in schools for young children,which he believed was an impractical mandate and a decision that should be made by individuals and schools. [8]
In March 2020,Knowles yelled at one of two openly gay lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,calling him a "little girl" as he was speaking on the floor wearing a rainbow mask. [9] In 2018,he signed onto a letter asking to eliminate LGBTQ+ inclusive birth certificates. The letter asked that Pennsylvania resume issuing birth certificates with the parents listed under a "mother/father" section,instead of the current "parent/parent" section.
Knowles did not face a Democratic challenger in a general election. In the 2020 election,Knowles was challenged by Taylor Picone,an officer of the U.S. Army National Guard. Knoweles defeated Picone significantly,receiving 72.5% of the vote.
Jacob Doyle Corman III is an American politician who served as the president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate from 2020 to 2022.
Robert W. "Rob" Kauffman is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 89th District and was elected in 2004. He currently sits on the House Consumer Affairs,Gaming Oversight,and Tourism and Recreational Development Committees.
Kathy L. Rapp is an American politician and current Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 65th District.
Bryan Dean Cutler is an American politician and former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A Republican,Cutler represents the 100th legislative district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2006,defeating incumbent Gibson C. Armstrong. He was elected House Majority Leader after the 2018 elections,and he became Speaker on June 22,2020,after the resignation of Mike Turzai.
Kerry Albert Benninghoff is an American politician and coroner serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 171st district. Elected in November 1996,he assumed office on January 7,1997.
Tarah C. Toohil is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2011 to 2021. She is currently a judge on the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
Christian Mitchell is the incoming Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago. He currently serves as Deputy Governor for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration. Prior to assuming that role,Mitchell represented the 26th District of Illinois as state representative from 2013 to 2019. He also served as the executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois during the 2018 election cycle,becoming the first African-American to hold the position.
William Gary Lamberth is an American politician. He serves as a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the forty-fourth district,encompassing parts of Sumner County,Tennessee.
Aaron D. Kaufer is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 120th district from 2015 to 2024.
Cannabis in Virginia is legal for medical use and recreational use. The first medical marijuana dispensary opened in August 2020,and adult recreational use became legalized in July 2021.
Paul Thomas Schemel is an American lawyer and politician serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 90th district in Franklin County,Pennsylvania.
Cannabis in Pennsylvania is illegal for recreational use,but possession of small amounts is decriminalized in several of the state's largest cities. Medical use was legalized in 2016 through a bill passed by the state legislature.
Heather Edelson is an American politician who is a member of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL),she served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2024,representing District 50A in the western Twin Cities metropolitan area,which includes Edina and parts of Hennepin County. In 2024,she was elected to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners from the 6th district.
Jazz M. Lewis is an American politician and Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Lewis represents Maryland's 24th district,and is currently serving as House Majority Whip.
Gabriel Acevero is a Trinidadian–American organizer,activist and politician representing Maryland's 39th House district. On November 6,2018,Acevero finished in first place with 31% of the vote and became the first openly gay Afro-Latino,and one of the youngest people,elected to the Maryland House of Delegates. Acevero is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Marshall A. Burt is an American politician who served in the Wyoming House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party,Burt previously was a Libertarian while he represented the 39th district from 2021 to 2023. Burt was the first third-party candidate elected to the Wyoming Legislature in over 100 years.
New Jersey Public Question 1,the Constitutional Amendment To Legalize Marijuana,was a measure that appeared on the November 3,2020 New Jersey general election ballot. Passing with the largest margin of victory of any statewide cannabis legalization ballot measure in US history,Question 1 legalized the possession and recreational use of cannabis;although planned to go into effect January 1,2021,implementation was delayed until February 22 due to a dispute between the governor and legislature over penalties for underage cannabis users. Retail sales are also allowed under the amendment.
Josh Calloway is an American politician from Kentucky. A member of the Republican Party,he has been a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives since January 2021. He represents Kentucky's 11th House district,which includes Breckenridge and Hardin counties.
Alec Joseph Ryncavage is an American businessman and politician. He is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 119th District since 2023.