Curtis J. Jones Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Curtis J. Jones Jr.
Jones in 2016
Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 4th District
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2008
Preceded by	Carol Campbell
Personal details
Born	1956/1957 (age 67–68) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Political party	Democratic

Curtis J. Jones Jr. was born in 1956 or 1957. He is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He serves on the Philadelphia City Council. In 2007, he was elected to represent the 4th District. This area includes parts of North, Northwest, and West Philadelphia. He has held important leadership roles. He was the Majority Leader from 2012 to 2016. Since 2020, he has been the Majority Whip.

About Curtis Jones Jr.

Curtis Jones Jr. grew up in West Philadelphia. When he was 15, he was involved with a youth group. He credits Falaka Fattah and the House of Umoja for helping him change his life. He said they taught him that everyone can be an important part of their community.

At 18, he first tried to get elected as a delegate for the Democratic National Committee. As a young activist, he helped start the Youth Movement to Clean Up Politics. He also worked at the House of Umoja. He became a Muslim when he was in high school.

Jones graduated from Overbrook High School. He also took classes at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. As of 2020, he lives in the Overbrook Farms neighborhood.

His Career in Public Service

In 1979, when he was 22, Curtis Jones Jr. ran for Philadelphia City Commissioner. He lost that election but continued to work in public service. He was appointed to a committee that looked at how to improve the City Commissioner's office.

Jones worked as an assistant manager in the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. Later, he became the staff director for the Minority Business Enterprise Council. In 1992, he became the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation. He worked there for 15 years.

In 2007, Jones decided to run for the Philadelphia City Council. He ran for the 4th Council District seat. He won the Democratic nomination by a small number of votes. In the main election, he won with 86% of the votes.

Jones has been re-elected several times: in 2011, 2015, and 2019. During his time on City Council, he has worked on making the justice system fairer. This includes supporting "ban-the-box" laws. These laws help people with past convictions get jobs. He also worked to change "cash bail" rules.

Working on the Philadelphia City Council

What Committees He Serves On

As of 2021, Curtis Jones Jr. is a member of several important committees. These committees help make decisions for the city. He is the chair of the Legislative Oversight committee and the Public Safety committee. He is also the vice-chair of the Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless committee.

Here are some of the committees he is on:

• Commerce And Economic Development
• Finance
• Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless (vice chair)
• Legislative Oversight (chair)
• Licenses and Inspections
• Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
• Public Property and Public Works
• Public Safety (chair)
• Rules
• Transportation And Public Utilities

Important Issues He Works On

Helping with Housing

Curtis Jones Jr. is very involved in housing issues. He is the vice-chair of the Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless committee.

In 2017, he suggested a "just cause" eviction bill. This bill would help prevent landlords from evicting tenants unfairly. He said that the government should protect people from being taken advantage of. He later added changes to this bill.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped work on a set of bills. These bills were called the Emergency Housing Protection Act. They aimed to help people with housing problems during the pandemic.

Supporting Employment

In 2015, Jones worked to make Philadelphia's Ban the Box law stronger. This law stops employers from asking about a person's criminal record too early in the hiring process. The changes he supported made it harder for employers to get around the law. They also limited how far back an employer could look at someone's criminal history.

See also

• List of members of Philadelphia City Council since 1952