Jennifer Garrison

Infobox State Representative


name=Jennifer Garrison


state_house=Ohio
state=Ohio
district=93rd
term=2005 -
preceded=
succeeded=Incumbent
date of birth=birth year and age|1962
place of birth=Fort Thomas, Kentucky
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Russ
profession=attorney
religion=Methodist
party=Democratic|

Jennifer Garrison (born 1962 in Fort Thomas, Kentucky) is an American politician of the Democratic party from Marietta, Ohio. Currently, she is in her second term representing the 93rd District in the Ohio House of Representatives, which includes Guernsey, Monroe, Noble counties, most of Washington County, and part of Muskingum County, all in southeast Ohio.

Biography

Jennifer Garrison was born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, the daughter of a union plumber. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from Xavier University, and a law degree from Catholic University Law School in Washington, D.C. While in college, she worked as an intern for the Congressional Budget Office, and for the Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Department of Natural Resources as a legislative assistant in Washington.

Garrison then completed a judicial clerkship in Philadelphia and became a practicing attorney. She moved to Marietta in 1990, joining the law firm of McCauley, Webster & Emrick, where she became a partner in 1993. Three years later, she opened a private law practice, concentrating on family mediation. She ran the Washington County Visitation Mediation Project for seven years, providing free mediation to parents working out their custody and visitation conflicts. She has served on the boards of the domestic violence shelter EVE and the Washington County Mental Health & Alcohol Addiction Board, and as Commissioner on the Marietta Civil Service Board.

Garrison is licensed to practice law in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She served as president of the Washington County, Ohio Bar Association from 1996 to 1997. [cite web
title = Official biography from campaign website
url = http://www.jennifergarrison.com/bio
accessdate = 2008-01-01 ]

Ohio House of Representatives

In 2004, Garrison unseated former twelve-day Ohio Gov. Nancy P. Hollister to win her seat with 51.6% of the vote. [cite web
title = 2004 election results - Ohio House
publisher = Ohio Secretary of State
date = 2004-11-02
url = http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/ElectionsVoter/results2004.aspx?Section=144
accessdate = 2008-01-01 ] The campaign was highlighted by a sharp contrast between the candidates, with Garrison being to the right of Hollister on gay marriage, abortion rights and taxation. However, Garrison was to the left of Hollister in supporting action to address Ohio's unconstitutional school funding formula.

On the issue of gay marriage, Garrison criticized Hollister's opposition to the Ohio Defense of Marriage Act [cite news
last = Glassman
first = Anthony
coauthors =
title = Four gain Statehouse after DOMA-related primaries
publisher = Gay People's Chronicle (Cleveland, Ohio)
date = 2004-11-05
url = http://www.gaypeopleschronicle.com/stories04/04nov5.htm#story4
accessdate = 2008-01-01 ] On the issue of taxation, she criticized Hollister's vote for the largest tax increase in Ohio history.

In 2006, Garrison was reelected with 71% of the vote against Republican challenger Donald J. Gadd, mayor of Byesville, Ohio. [cite web
title = 2006 election results - Ohio House
publisher = Ohio Secretary of State
date = 2006-11-07
url = http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/ElectionsVoter/results2006.aspx?Section=1851
accessdate = 2008-01-01 ] She currently serves as Ranking Member of the Juvenile and Family Law Committee, and also sits on the Education, Public Utilities and Energy, and Finance and Appropriations Committees and the Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee.

References

External links

* [http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=93 Official Ohio House web page]
* [http://www.jennifergarrison.com Campaign web site]
* [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=45718 Project Vote Smart profile]
*Follow the Money
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200635&c=422735 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200435&c=399629 2004] campaign contributions