Vernon Jones in GA legislative records
On Crime:
Approved 10-year minimum for assaulting a cop
Legislative Summary: HB 258: Amends the Code regarding the aggravated assault of a peace officer by increasing the minimum sentence to ten years of imprisonment. If the aggravated assault of a peace officer
involves the discharge of a firearm, none of the mandatory minimum sentence can be probated, stayed, suspended, deferred or withheld.
Speaker Stacey Abrams opinion in support of voting NO: I disagree with the increase of mandatory minimums and the lack of discretion available to judges to fully determine if extenuating circumstances are present.
Legislative Outcome:Passed House 120-51-9 on Mar/3/17; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES
Source: Speaker Stacey Abrams website on Georgia voting record HB258
Mar 3, 2017
On Education:
Opposed Keeping Georgia's Schools Safe Act
Analysis by 11-Alive News: Senate Bill 15, or the Keeping Georgia's Schools Safe Act, a Republican-sponsored bill, was passed and sent to Kemp's desk, but the governor vetoed it due to concerns from the education world. The bill called for
threat assessments taken at each school and mandated annual safety drills at schools. Guns were not addressed in the bill much to the disappointment of Democrat leaders. Kemp wrote, the bill "undermines local control, generates an unfunded mandate for
school safety coordinators, and places a ministerial duty on school administrators, increasing their exposure to legal liability."Legislative Outcome:
Passed House 110-56-14, Vote #420 on Apr/02/19; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted NO; Passed Senate 42-11-3, Vote #434 on Apr/02/19; Vetoed by Governor Brian Kemp on May/10/19
Source: 11alive.com on Georgia legislative voting record SB15
Apr 2, 2019
On Families & Children:
Voted YES on criminalizing "up-skirting"
Legislative Summary: HB 9: Commonly known as "up skirting," legislation criminalizes knowingly using any device or apparatus to observe, photograph, videotape, film, or record underneath such person's clothing for
the purpose of viewing intimate body parts or undergarments without the person's consent. Also unlawful to disseminate any such image or recording. Legislative Outcome:Passed House 156-1-23 on Feb/17/17; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES
Source: Speaker Stacey Abrams website on Georgia voting record HB 9
Feb 17, 2017
On Government Reform:
Exact-match process doesn't violate Voting Rights Act
HB 268: Seeks to void a recent federal court settlement requiring the Secretary of State to refine its voter registration process to exclude the "exact matching" process that led to the unlawful cancellation more than 30,000 voter registration
applications since 2013. The bill would also require non-partisan voter information groups and Election Protection groups to move at least 25 feet away from voters standing in line throughout the course of Election Day.Speaker Stacey Abrams
opinion in support of voting NO: HB 268 would negatively impact reforms recently agreed to by the Secretary of State in the federal settlement of the "exact match" federal voting rights lawsuit and would likely lead to further expensive and time-
consuming litigation. Furthermore, it likely violates the First Amendment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act.Legislative Outcome:Passed House 102-48-30 on Mar/24/17; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES
Source: Speaker Stacey Abrams website on Georgia voting record HB268
Mar 24, 2017
On Government Reform:
Stop redistricting voters of color to dilute their votes
Legislative Summary: HB 515: This bill amends the boundaries of multiple House legislative districts. Of most concern, the new map packs African-American voters from Republican HD 40 into heavily Democratic HD 53. In HD 111, the revised
maps continue a process initiated in 2015 to dilute black votes by shifting voters into adjacent districts and by adding white voters to the district in 2017.
Speaker Stacey Abrams opinion in support of voting NO: Voters of color are facing increased inconvenience by repeated shifts in their districts, in order to accommodate diminished GOP voting strength. With each redrawing of the lines, voters
of color are shifted to new legislators and divided from neighbors.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 108-59-13 on Mar/3/17; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted NO
Source: Speaker Stacey Abrams website on Georgia voting record HB515
Mar 3, 2017
On Gun Control:
Gun-carry license should apply to "campus carry"
HB 280: Current version of "campus carry." HB 280 would allow for any weapons carry license holder to concealed carry a firearm on public university campuses. Athletic areas, student housing, and fraternity and sorority houses are not covered
under the proposed exception. Carrying is also prohibited on up to three on-campus pre-school spaces. Legislative Outcome: Passed House 96-70-14 on Mar/30/17; Speaker Stacey Abrams voted NO; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES
Source: Speaker Stacey Abrams website on Georgia voting record HB280
Mar 30, 2017
On Health Care:
Supported limited instead of full expansion of Medicaid
Legislative Summary:: SB 106: A BILL to authorize the Department of Community Health to submit a waiver request to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Analysis by
Georgia Public Broadcasting:The Patients First Act requests a Medicaid waiver from the federal government. Both proponents and opponents of the move are making it clear a waiver isn't the same as full Medicaid expansion, which is what then-
President Obama envisioned for states when crafting the Affordable Care Act. Democrats say a waiver doesn't go far enough while some conservatives say even a partial expansion is too costly.
Legislative Outcome:
Passed Senate 32-20-4, Vote #65 on Feb/26/19; Passed House 104-67-9, Vote #288 on Mar/25/19; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES; Signed by Governor Brian Kemp on Mar/27/19
Source: GBP.org on Georgia legislative voting record SB 106
Mar 25, 2019
On Immigration:
Colleges should not be allowed to have sanctuary policies
HB 37: Would prohibit any private postsecondary institution eligible for tuition equalization grants from implementing a sanctuary policy. Sanctuary policies restrict employees' cooperation with federal and state officials or law enforcement officers
reporting immigration status information. Any private postsecondary institution that refuses to cooperate may lose state funding or state-administered federal funding, which includes scholarship funds received by students.Speaker Stacey Abrams
opinion in support of voting NO: Institutions of higher learning should not be compelled to act as immigration enforcement officers. More concerning, if the institution violates the policy, all students would be punished. For example, if a
school violates the policy, any HOPE Grant recipient could lose funding, regardless of immigration status.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 112-57-11 on Feb/22/17; Speaker Abrams voted NO; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES.
Source: Speaker Stacey Abrams website on Georgia voting record HB 37
Feb 22, 2017
On Technology:
Work around Federal ban on "no drone zones" at prisons
Legislative Summary:SB6: A BILL to prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft systems to deliver or attempt to deliver contraband to a place of incarceration.
Analysis by BFV Law:Federal law prohibits states from
establishing "no drone zones" around prisons and from deploying counter-drone measures. Senate Bill 6 appears to be an attempted work around that could permit law enforcement to monitor and prevent drone operations around prisons. Georgia law already
makes it a crime to give anything to persons in custody without the warden's permission. Senate Bill 6 makes it a crime to intentionally use an unmanned aircraft system to violate the anti-contraband law.
Legislative Outcome:Passed
House166-4-10, Vote #315 on Mar/28/19; State Rep. Vernon Jones voted YES; Passed Senate 50-0-4, Vote #323 on Mar/29/19; Signed by Governor Brian Kemp on Apr/28/19
Source: BFVLaw.com on Georgia legislative voting record SB6
Mar 28, 2019
Page last updated: Feb 13, 2023