Lane Jean

Samuel Lane Jean (born 1958) is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 2, which includes parts of Lafayette, Miller, and Columbia counties in south Arkansas. He has held the District 2 seat since January 2013. From 2011 to 2013, he was the representative from District 4. He was elected in 2012 by his colleagues as the House Republican Whip. He serves under Majority Leader Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs^[1] and subsequent Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives Davy Carter of Cabot in Lonoke County, who was elected as the presiding officer of the House in 2013.

Background

Jean's mother, Katheryn "Kitty" Reeves Jean (1929-2007), a native of Birmingham, Alabama, was the president of Reeves Land and Timber Company of Magnolia. She was active for many years in the Republican Party in Columbia County. Jean has a brother, Hal H. Jean (born 1954) of Magnolia.^[2]

Jean graduated from Magnolia High School and attended Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. In 1984, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. He is a former SAU trustee and a former commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.^[3]

Political career

From 1995 to 2010, Jean was the mayor of Magnolia.^[4] Earlier, like his mother, he was a Columbia County justice of the peace. He is engaged in the cattle, timber, and real estate businesses. He is a Bible teacher at the Jackson Street Church of Christ in Magnolia. Jean is also affiliated with Rotary International and the Arkansas Municipal League. He and his wife, Judith, have two grown children, Kelli and Gray.^[3]

Jean won his District 4 House seat in the general election held on November 2, 2010; he succeeded the term-limited Democrat, Bruce Maloch, who was elected instead to the Arkansas State Senate. Jean defeated the Democratic nominee, Raymond Robertson, the owner of a former pharmacy store in Welcome in Columbia County; the tabulation was 4,061 votes (52.5 percent) to 3,671 (47.5 percent).^[5]

Jean serves on these House committees: (1) Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development, (2) Revenue and Taxation, (3) Public Retirement and Social Security Programs, (4) Budget. The latter two are joint House and Senate committees.^[3]Jean is opposed to abortion, having voted to ban the practice after twenty weeks of gestation or whenever fetal heartbeat is determined. He voted to allow university staff to carry concealed weapons and to require picture identification for voting.^[6]

In February 2015, Jean introduced legislation backed by dozens of his fellow Republicans and two Democrats to reduce unemployment compensation benefits. The measure was promptly signed into law by the newly-elected Governor Asa Hutchinson.^[7]

References