Shannon Roers Jones
{{Short description|American attorney and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name =Shannon Roers Jones
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| alt =
| state_house = North Dakota
| district = 46th
| term_start = December 1, 2016
| term_end = December 1, 2024
| predecessor = Kathy Hawken
| successor = Desiree Morton
| prior_term =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party=Republican
| father=Jim Roers
| children=3
| education = College of St. Benedict (BA)
University of St. Thomas (MBA)
University of North Dakota (JD)
}}
Shannon Roers Jones is an American attorney and politician. She served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 46th district from 2016-2024. She was the North Dakota House Republican Caucus Chairperson from 2019 to 2021.
Early life and education
Roers Jones was born to Debby and Jim Roers in Fargo, North Dakota and lived in Horace for most of her early life. Her father is CEO of Roers Construction, a company he formed in 1976. She studied business in college, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the College of St. Benedict in 1999 and an MBA from University of St. Thomas in 2001. She then earned a Juris Doctor from University of North Dakota School of Law in 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://roers.com/meet-our-team/|title=About Roers {{!}} Roers {{!}} Building Success|website=Roers|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-25}}
Career
Electoral history
Roers Jones first ran for office in 2016, when she ran for the house seat for district 46 as the Republican successor to retiring incumbent Kathy Hawken. She won with 28.64% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST|title=Official Results General Election - November 8, 2016|last=North Dakota Secretary of State|date=|website=results.sos.nd.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419215024/https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST|archive-date=2017-04-19|access-date=2020-03-25}}
{{Election box begin
| title = 2020 General Election for North Dakota House of Representatives District 46{{cite web | url=https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST | title=2020 General Election Results | website= results.sos.nd.gov. | publisher= North Dakota Secretary of State| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123230803/https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST | archive-date=2020-11-23 }}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Shannon Roers Jones (incumbent)
| votes = 3,974
| percentage = 27.77%
| change = -0.87
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = James Kasper (incumbent)
| votes = 3,632
| percentage = 25.38%
| change = -0,44
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Ben M Hanson|votes=3,349|percentage=23.40%|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Ben W Hanson|votes=3,346|percentage=23.38%|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate
| party = Other
| candidate = Write-ins
| votes = 11
| percentage = 0.08%
| change = N/A
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 14,312
| percentage = 100.0%
| change = N/A
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing
| winner = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin
| title = 2016 General Election for North Dakota House of Representatives District 46{{cite web | url=https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST | title=2016 General Election Results | website= results.sos.nd.gov. | publisher= North Dakota Secretary of State| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419215024/https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST | archive-date=2017-04-19 }}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Shannon Roers Jones
| votes = 3732
| percentage = 28.59%
| change = N/A
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = James Kasper (incumbent)
| votes = 3,364
| percentage = 25.77%
| change = -2,42
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Kiersten Diederich|votes=3,137|percentage=24.03%|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Dan Fisher|votes=2,797|percentage=21.40%|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate
| party = Other
| candidate = Write-ins
| votes = 24
| percentage = 0.18%
| change = N/A
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 13,054
| percentage = 100.0%
| change = N/A
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing
| winner = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
Political positions
= Work on Sunday =
In 2017, Shannon Roers Jones spearheaded the push to repeal the last remnants of North Dakota's Blue laws. The 2017 bill failed.{{cite news |title=North Dakota Legislature repeals Sunday morning shopping ban |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/north-dakota-legislature-repeals-sunday-morning-shopping-ban |accessdate=24 June 2020 |agency=Associated Press |date=19 March 2019}} In 2019 she again sponsored the bill which would make it legal for stores to be open on Sundays before noon. In 2019, her bill passed both the House and the Senate and was signed onto law by Governor Doug Burgum, and went into effect on August 1, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/953643-North-Dakota-House-passes-repeal-of-Sunday-morning-shopping-ban|title=How they voted: North Dakota House passes repeal of Sunday morning shopping ban|last=Jan 17th 2019 - 4pm|first=John Hageman {{!}}|website=INFORUM|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}}
= Marijuana and criminal justice =
Roers Jones opposes legalization of recreational marijuana. However, in 2019, she sponsored a bill calling for the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana (less than one ounce or less than 6 ounce). Under this bill, people found with small amounts of marijuana would still pay a fine, but it would not show up in their criminal records. This bill would also have expunged the criminal records of various non-violent and non-sex offenders.{{Cite web|url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/pro-marijuana-group-to-try-again-with-ballot-measure-lawmakers/article_c5063227-d815-57b1-a635-77f0b9e78836.html|title=Pro-marijuana group to try again with ballot measure, lawmakers work on related bills|last=Emerson|first=Blair|website=Bismarck Tribune|date=7 November 2018 |language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}} The bill failed to pass the ND House.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/1010707-Marijuana-decriminalization-backer-disappointed-by-North-Dakota-House-Senate-compromise|title=Marijuana decriminalization backer disappointed by North Dakota House-Senate compromise|last=Hageman|first=John|date=April 24, 2019|website=Grand Forks Herald|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-05}}
Personal life
Roers Jones lives in south Fargo with her three daughters Olivia, Kendall, and Kate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.shannonroersjones.com/about|title=About|last=|first=|date=|website=www.shannonroersjones.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-03-25}} Her father Jim was elected to the North Dakota State Senate in 2016, the year she was also elected to the ND House of Representative. They both represent the 46th District. In 2018, her cousin Kristin Roers was also elected to the ND State Senate. She represents the 27th district.{{Cite web|url=https://news.sanfordhealth.org/faces-of-sanford-health/legislative-words-of-wisdom/|title=Words of wisdom from 2 lawmakers|date=2019-01-09|website=Sanford Health News|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roers Jones, Shannon}}
Category:Republican Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives
Category:College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University alumni
Category:University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) alumni
Category:University of North Dakota alumni
Category:People from Cass County, North Dakota
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Women state legislators in North Dakota
Category:21st-century members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly