Jane H. Smith
Encyclopedia
Jane Holland Smith is a former educator and a departing Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from Bossier Parish
in northwestern Louisiana
.
from 1988–1995) and as superintendent of the public schools (1994–1999). She is also the first female legislator ever to have been elected as a state legislator from Bossier Parish.
A native of Sabine Parish
in western Louisiana, Smith received her Bachelor of Science
and her Master of Education degrees, plus thirty additional graduate hours, from Northwestern State University
in Natchitoches
, Louisiana. NSU named her a "Distinguished Alumnus" and invited her as commencement speaker at the 2001 graduation exercises. Smith also completed a course in school principalship at Centenary College
in Shreveport
.
In 1999, Smith was named the Louisiana "Superintendent of the Year" because of her development of a character education
program and a technology
plan considered a statewide educational model She has received recognition from the Women's Business Council, an affiliate of the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce
. The Young Men’s Christian Association has cited her work in promoting awareness of violence against women. She procured the Advocacy Award from the American Cancer Society
.
Smith is married to Wendell Scott Smith (born May 27, 1958), the long-serving principal of Benton High School in Benton
, the seat of Bossier Parish. Daughter Hillary S. Garner of Plaquemine
and her husband, Eric D. Garner (both born 1974), have two children, Holland and Evan. The Smiths attend First Baptist
Church Bossier, pastored by Fred Lowery.
(born 1948) of Bossier City, then an assistant to the chancellor at Bossier Parish Community College
, did not seek a second term but ran for the Louisiana State Senate
. In 2003, Smith defeated fellow Republican Ryan Gatti, 6,999 (66.9 percent) to 3,456 (33.1percent) In 2007, Smith defeated Republican Gary Miller, 7,508 (62.2 percent) to 4,555 (37.8 percent).
Smith was a member of the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus and the Louisiana Rural Caucus. Her House committee assignments were Capital Outlay, Criminal Justice, Governmental Affairs and the tax-writing Ways and Means panel, of which she was the vice-chairman. In the 2007 campaign, Smith signed a "No New Taxes" pledge.
In 2004, Smith was designated “Representative of the Year” by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. The following year she received the same honor from the Louisiana Association of Principals.
On March 27, 2007, Smith obtained the annual achievement award from the Sabine Hall of Fame, which recognizes a Sabine Parish native who moves to another area and becomes successful in a particular field. On May 4, 2007, because of a 100 percent voting record on faith and family values, Smith was named the recipient of the "Outstanding Family Advocate Award" for 2006 from the Louisiana Family Forum
.
Smith was a legislative proponent of health and fitness and advocated physical education in the elementary school curriculum. Then House Speaker Jim Tucker
appointed Smith to a committee to address the needs of veterans and active-duty military personnel, an area of particular concern to the representative, considering in part the location of Barksdale Air Force Base
in Bossier Parish.
. Smith lost that race to fellow Republican Barrow Peacock, a businessman from Shreveport who had lost to Shaw in a bid for the same seat in 2007 and in an earlier bid for the Louisiana House. In the 2011 match, Peacock polled 10,331 votes (55.5 percent) to Smith's 8,295 votes (44.5 percent).
Meanwhile, Republican Jeff R. Thompson, a Bossier City attorney, was elected to succeed Smith in the District 8 House seat. In 2008, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to succeed the retiring U.S. Representative Jim McCrery
. McCrery endorsed Thompson, but that position went to another Republican, John C. Fleming
of Minden
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from Bossier Parish
Bossier Parish, Louisiana
Bossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
in northwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Background
Prior to her legislative service, which began in the year 2000, Smith had been the first woman in Bossier Parish to have been appointed as a high-school principal (Haughton High School in HaughtonHaughton, Louisiana
Haughton is a town in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,792 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Haughton is located at ....
from 1988–1995) and as superintendent of the public schools (1994–1999). She is also the first female legislator ever to have been elected as a state legislator from Bossier Parish.
A native of Sabine Parish
Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Sabine Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Many. In 2010, the parish's population was 24,233....
in western Louisiana, Smith received her Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and her Master of Education degrees, plus thirty additional graduate hours, from Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
, Louisiana. NSU named her a "Distinguished Alumnus" and invited her as commencement speaker at the 2001 graduation exercises. Smith also completed a course in school principalship at Centenary College
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
.
In 1999, Smith was named the Louisiana "Superintendent of the Year" because of her development of a character education
Character education
Character education is an umbrella term loosely used to describe the teaching of children in a manner that will help them develop variously as moral, civic, good, mannered, behaved, non-bullying, healthy, critical, successful, traditional, compliant and/ or socially acceptable beings...
program and a technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
plan considered a statewide educational model She has received recognition from the Women's Business Council, an affiliate of the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. The Young Men’s Christian Association has cited her work in promoting awareness of violence against women. She procured the Advocacy Award from the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
.
Smith is married to Wendell Scott Smith (born May 27, 1958), the long-serving principal of Benton High School in Benton
Benton, Louisiana
The town of Benton is the parish seat of Bossier Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 2,035 at the 2000 census. The larger Bossier City is located south of Benton...
, the seat of Bossier Parish. Daughter Hillary S. Garner of Plaquemine
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and her husband, Eric D. Garner (both born 1974), have two children, Holland and Evan. The Smiths attend First Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church Bossier, pastored by Fred Lowery.
House service
Smith was elected without opposition to her first House term in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 23, 1999. Incumbent Republican Robert E. "Bob" BartonRobert E. "Bob" Barton
Robert Earl "Bob" Barton is the first Republican to have served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from Bossier Parish. A former newspaper owner from Bossier City, Barton held the District 8 seat from 1996-2000. The position opened when the 16-year incumbent, Robert Roy Adley, ran for...
(born 1948) of Bossier City, then an assistant to the chancellor at Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College is a two-year institution of higher education established in 1967 by the Louisiana State Legislature, initially as a pilot program to test the feasibility of commuter two-year colleges...
, did not seek a second term but ran for the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
. In 2003, Smith defeated fellow Republican Ryan Gatti, 6,999 (66.9 percent) to 3,456 (33.1percent) In 2007, Smith defeated Republican Gary Miller, 7,508 (62.2 percent) to 4,555 (37.8 percent).
Smith was a member of the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus and the Louisiana Rural Caucus. Her House committee assignments were Capital Outlay, Criminal Justice, Governmental Affairs and the tax-writing Ways and Means panel, of which she was the vice-chairman. In the 2007 campaign, Smith signed a "No New Taxes" pledge.
In 2004, Smith was designated “Representative of the Year” by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. The following year she received the same honor from the Louisiana Association of Principals.
On March 27, 2007, Smith obtained the annual achievement award from the Sabine Hall of Fame, which recognizes a Sabine Parish native who moves to another area and becomes successful in a particular field. On May 4, 2007, because of a 100 percent voting record on faith and family values, Smith was named the recipient of the "Outstanding Family Advocate Award" for 2006 from the Louisiana Family Forum
Louisiana Family Forum
Louisiana Family Forum is a social conservative non-profit advocacy group based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The organization supports Louisiana's covenant marriage law and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage...
.
Smith was a legislative proponent of health and fitness and advocated physical education in the elementary school curriculum. Then House Speaker Jim Tucker
Jim Tucker (Louisiana politician)
James Wayne Tucker, known as Jim Tucker , is the departing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and an ally of Governor Bobby Jindal. An investment banker from the Terrytown section of the New Orleans metropolitan area, Tucker's District 86 includes precincts from both Jefferson and...
appointed Smith to a committee to address the needs of veterans and active-duty military personnel, an area of particular concern to the representative, considering in part the location of Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
in Bossier Parish.
2011 election
Smith was term-limited and unable to seek a fourth term in the House in the 2011 primary election. Instead, she ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate seat vacated by fellow Republican B.L. "Buddy" Shaw of ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. Smith lost that race to fellow Republican Barrow Peacock, a businessman from Shreveport who had lost to Shaw in a bid for the same seat in 2007 and in an earlier bid for the Louisiana House. In the 2011 match, Peacock polled 10,331 votes (55.5 percent) to Smith's 8,295 votes (44.5 percent).
Meanwhile, Republican Jeff R. Thompson, a Bossier City attorney, was elected to succeed Smith in the District 8 House seat. In 2008, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to succeed the retiring U.S. Representative Jim McCrery
Jim McCrery
James Otis "Jim" McCrery, III , is an American lawyer who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1988 to 2009; he represented the 4th District of Louisiana, based in the northwestern quadrant of the state.McCrery was a ranking member on the House Ways and...
. McCrery endorsed Thompson, but that position went to another Republican, John C. Fleming
John C. Fleming
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. is a Minden, Louisiana physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district...
of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
.