Lane Jean

{{Update after|2025|1|13|reason=Next election for the seat in the house}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name=Samuel Lane Jean

| birth_place=Magnolia, Arkansas

| birth_date={{birth date and age|1958|11|10}}

| residence=Magnolia, Columbia County
Arkansas, USA

| death_date=

| death_place=

|state_house1=Arkansas

|district1=99th

|term_start1= January 9, 2023

|preceded1=Jack Fortner

| state_house2=Arkansas

| district2=2nd

| term_start2=January 1, 2013

| term_end2=January 9, 2023

| preceded2=Larry Cowling

| succeeded2=Trey Steimel

| state_house3=Arkansas

| district3=4th

| term_start3=January 1, 2011

| term_end3=December 31, 2012

| preceded3=Bruce Maloch

| succeeded3=Fonda Hawthorne

| office4=Mayor of Magnolia, Arkansas

| term_start4=1995

| term_end4=December 31, 2010

| preceded4=

| succeeded4=Parnell Vann

| party=Republican

| alma_mater=Abilene Christian University

Southern Arkansas University

}}

Samuel Lane Jean (born November 10, 1958){{cite web|url=https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/arml/91st_AR_General_Assembly.pdf|title=91st Arkansas General Assembly Legislative Directory|year=2017|publisher=State of Arkansas|access-date=2023-03-22}} is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 2, which includes parts of Lafayette, Miller, and Columbia counties. He has held this seat since January 2013.{{cite web|url=http://arhouse.org/2012/03/09/westerman-elected-republican-leader/|title=Westerman elected Republican leader, March 9, 2012|publisher=arhouse.org|accessdate=September 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220105540/http://arhouse.org/2012/03/09/westerman-elected-republican-leader/|archive-date=December 20, 2013|url-status=dead}} Jean served as mayor of Magnolia, Arkansas between 1995 and 2010.

Early life and education

Jean was born in Magnolia, Arkansas on November 10, 1958. He has a brother, Hal. Jean graduated from Magnolia High School and attended Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. In 1984, he received a BA in History from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. Jean's mother Katheryn (1929-2007), a native of Birmingham, Alabama, was president of the Reeves Land and Timber Company in Magnolia and active in Columbia County's Republican Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.tributes.com/show/Katheryn-Kitty-Reeves-Jean-79316916|title=Katheryn "Kitty" Reeves Jean|publisher=tributes.com|accessdate=September 11, 2013}}

Career

Jean served as mayor of Magnolia between 1995 and 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.magnoliareporter.com/news_and_business/local_news/article_80712344-0ed4-11e0-9d8b-001cc4c03286.html|title=Magnolia Mayor-elect Parnell Vann wants public's help with solving problems, December 28, 2010|publisher=magnoliareporter.com|accessdate=September 10, 2013}} Like his mother, he was also a Columbia County justice of the peace.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} Jean won his District 4 House seat in the 2010 Arkansas elections, succeeding the term-limited Democrat, Bruce Maloch, who moved on to the Arkansas State Senate, and defeating the Democratic nominee, Raymond Robertson, with 52.5% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.magnoliareporter.com/news_and_business/local_news/article_fedf557e-e72a-11df-a080-001cc4c03286.html|title=Jean carries Columbia, Miller counties in House race against Robertson, November 3, 2010|publisher=magnoliareporter.com|accessdate=September 11, 2013}} In 2012, he was elected by colleagues as the House Republic Whip under then Majority Leader Bruce Westerman{{cite web|url=http://arhouse.org/2012/03/09/westerman-elected-republican-leader/|title=Westerman elected Republican leader, March 9, 2012|publisher=arhouse.org|accessdate=September 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220105540/http://arhouse.org/2012/03/09/westerman-elected-republican-leader/|archive-date=December 20, 2013|url-status=dead}} and subsequent Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives Davy Carter, who was elected as the presiding officer of the House in 2013.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} In January 2013, he became the District 2 representative. As of March 2023, Jean is the House Chair for the Joint Budget Committee and is a member of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee and the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. He was elected to the 99th district in November 2022, and assumed office in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Lane Jean |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Lane_Jean |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}

Jean is opposed to abortion and voted to ban the practice after 20 weeks of gestation. He voted to allow university staff to carry concealed weapons and to require picture identification for voting.{{cite web|url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/119096/lane-jean|title=Representative Lane Jean's Political Summary|publisher=votesmart.org|accessdate=September 10, 2013}} In February 2015, he introduced legislation to reduce unemployment compensation benefits. The measure was promptly signed into law by the newly-elected Governor Asa Hutchinson.{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/bill/19578/51495/114398/tim-lemons-co-sponsored-hb-1489-reduces-unemployment-benefits#51495|title=HB 1489 - Reduces Unemployment Benefits - Key Vote|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=April 1, 2015}}

Personal life

Jean and his wife Judith have two children and one grandchild. In addition to politics, he works in the cattle, timber, and real estate businesses. He is a member of the Church of Christ in Emerson and is affiliated with Rotary International and the Arkansas Municipal League. He is a former Southern Arkansas University trustee and former commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/272/lane-jean|title=Lane Jean, R-2|publisher=Arkansas House of Representatives|accessdate=September 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614134351/http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/272/lane-jean|archive-date=June 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.arkansashouse.org/district/99|title=Lane Jean|publisher=Arkansas House of Representatives|access-date=2023-03-22}}