Jane Lawton
Encyclopedia
Jane Lawton was an American politician from Maryland
and a member of the Democratic Party
. The Jane E. Lawton community center, located in Leland Park in Chevy Chase, MD, was renamed in her memory on June 14, 2009.
, Oklahoma
on May 24, 1944. At the time of her death she was serving in her first full term in the Maryland House of Delegates
, representing Maryland's District 18 in Montgomery County
. She was also serving on the Environmental Matters Committee.
Carl Albert
until the birth of her first child in 1974. She became a member of the Town of Chevy Chase Town Council in 1981, later becoming treasurer, then Chairperson (this position is now referred to as the Mayor of the Town). Later, she was Special Assistant to Neil Potter when he was County Executive
of Montgomery County. After Doug Duncan
succeeded Potter, she became the County Cable Administrator. In the State Legislature, She was originally appointed to fill the seat of former delegate John Hurson, but was elected in her own right in the fall of 2006. She passed two bills during her brief time in office, and two more were passed in her name the following term; one a Farms-to-Schools program she had been working on the previous session and planned to introduce in the 2008 legislative session.
Lawton died of unknown causes on the morning of November 29, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011602040.html. She collapsed after giving a speech in downtown Washington. She was declared dead at George Washington Hospital Center. Early reports that she had had a heart attack were based on speculation only. After she died, the political blogger Wonkette posted a satirical announcement that jokingly suggested that her death had been caused by "'representatives' of the cable industry," a reference to the speech she gave immediately prior to collapsing.
Her campaign website no longer remains available at http://www.janelawton.org, but the guest book that was put up after her death on that website remains available through dreambook.com http://books.dreambook.com/marbal3/janelawton.html.
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Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The Jane E. Lawton community center, located in Leland Park in Chevy Chase, MD, was renamed in her memory on June 14, 2009.
Background
Delegate Lawton was born in MuskogeeMuskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
on May 24, 1944. At the time of her death she was serving in her first full term in the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
, representing Maryland's District 18 in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. She was also serving on the Environmental Matters Committee.
Career
After college she worked briefly for IBM. She also worked as Special Assistant to the Speaker of the United States House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Carl Albert
Carl Albert
Carl Bert Albert was a lawyer and a Democratic American politician from Oklahoma.Albert represented the southeastern portion of Oklahoma as a Democrat for 30 years, starting in 1947. He is best known for his service as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977...
until the birth of her first child in 1974. She became a member of the Town of Chevy Chase Town Council in 1981, later becoming treasurer, then Chairperson (this position is now referred to as the Mayor of the Town). Later, she was Special Assistant to Neil Potter when he was County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Montgomery County. After Doug Duncan
Doug Duncan
Douglas M. Duncan is a Democratic politician from Maryland who served as County Executive of Montgomery County from 1994 to 2006. At three terms, Duncan held the office longer than any other County Executive in Montgomery County's history...
succeeded Potter, she became the County Cable Administrator. In the State Legislature, She was originally appointed to fill the seat of former delegate John Hurson, but was elected in her own right in the fall of 2006. She passed two bills during her brief time in office, and two more were passed in her name the following term; one a Farms-to-Schools program she had been working on the previous session and planned to introduce in the 2008 legislative session.
Lawton died of unknown causes on the morning of November 29, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011602040.html. She collapsed after giving a speech in downtown Washington. She was declared dead at George Washington Hospital Center. Early reports that she had had a heart attack were based on speculation only. After she died, the political blogger Wonkette posted a satirical announcement that jokingly suggested that her death had been caused by "'representatives' of the cable industry," a reference to the speech she gave immediately prior to collapsing.
Her campaign website no longer remains available at http://www.janelawton.org, but the guest book that was put up after her death on that website remains available through dreambook.com http://books.dreambook.com/marbal3/janelawton.html.
Legislative notes
- voted for the Healthy Air Act in 2006 (SB154) http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/votes/house/0942.htm
- voted in favor of increasing the sales tax by one percentage point to 6% - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2) http://www.mdchamber.org/docs/ss_hb2.pdf
- voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6) http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm
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