Roy Barnes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roy Barnes
Barnes in 2010
80th Governor of Georgia
In office January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003
Lieutenant	Mark Taylor
Preceded by	Zell Miller
Succeeded by	Sonny Perdue
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 33rd district
In office November 3, 1992 – November 3, 1998
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Don Wix
Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 33rd district
In office November 5, 1974 – November 6, 1990
Preceded by	Jack Henderson
Succeeded by	Steve Thompson
Personal details
Born	Roy Eugene Barnes (1948-03-11) March 11, 1948 (age 77) Mableton, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Marie Dobbs ​ (m. 1970)​
Children	3
Education	University of Georgia (BA, JD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Unit	United States Army Reserves

Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 80th governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003. He is the most recent Democrat to be the governor of Georgia.

Barnes was a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the Georgia Senate from 1974 to 1990. He then served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1992 to 1998. In 1998, he won the election to become governor.

In 2003, Barnes received the Profile in Courage Award. This award is given by the John F. Kennedy Library. He earned it for changing the Georgia state flag. He reduced the size of the Confederate battle emblem on it. Many believe this change led to his loss in the 2002 election.

After his term as governor, he went back to practicing law. He also co-chaired a group that looked at the No Child Left Behind Act. He ran for governor again in 2010 but lost to Nathan Deal.

Early Life and Education

Roy Barnes was born on March 11, 1948, in Mableton, Georgia. His family owned a general store. This is where he first heard people talk about politics.

After finishing South Cobb High School, Barnes went to the University of Georgia. He was part of the debate team. He worked at his family's store during the summers. He earned a history degree in 1969. A year later, he married Marie Dobbs. They have three children.

After college, Barnes studied law at the University of Georgia School of Law. He was elected president of the student bar association. He graduated with honors in 1972. He then worked as a prosecutor in Cobb County after serving in the Army for a few months.

Starting in Politics

Serving in the Georgia Senate

Roy Barnes began his political career in 1974. He was elected to the Georgia State Senate from Mableton. At 26, he was the youngest member of the Georgia Senate. He served eight terms there.

After his second term, he became a floor leader for Governor Joe Frank Harris. He also led the Senate Judiciary Committee. During his time in the Senate, he helped rewrite the Georgia constitution.

First Run for Governor

After serving eight terms, Barnes ran for governor in 1990. He faced Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and Lt. Governor Zell Miller. Miller won the Democratic primary election. Miller later became governor and a friend to Barnes.

Serving in the Georgia House

Barnes returned to politics in 1992. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. He became vice chair of the Judiciary Committee. He also led the Subcommittee on General Law. He served on other important committees too.

Barnes also helped start Georgia State Bank in Mableton. He was on the bank's board of directors for many years.

Governor of Georgia

Becoming Governor

In 1998, Barnes ran for governor again. He won the Democratic primary election. His main goals were to improve education and healthcare. He won the general election against Republican businessman Guy Millner. Barnes became the 80th Governor of Georgia.

Democrats kept control of both parts of the legislature. They also won most state-level offices.

What He Did as Governor

In January 1999, after becoming governor, Barnes made a rule. It stopped lobbyists from giving gifts to state government workers.

Barnes also changed the state flag of Georgia. The flag had shown the Confederate battle emblem since 1956. Many people did not like this change, but Barnes believed it was important.

For education, Barnes made some big changes. He ended job security for new teachers. He also stopped "social promotion." This meant students had to pass a test to move to the next grade. Teachers did not like all his ideas, but the Department of Education supported ending social promotion.

Barnes also created the Child Advocate Office. This office helps protect children. He signed the Terrell Peterson Act to keep children safe from abuse. This was after a child named Terrell Peterson died while under state care.

He also suggested new rules for young drivers. These rules included a curfew for teens at 10 p.m. and limits on how many passengers they could have. He wanted to make roads safer for young people.

2002 Election and Leaving Office

Barnes ran for re-election in 2002 but lost. This was a surprise to many. Some people thought his changes to the state flag and his ideas for teachers led to his defeat. However, many believe it was part of a bigger shift in Georgia towards the Republican Party. Sonny Perdue became the first Republican governor of Georgia since the Reconstruction period.

People often called Roy Barnes "King Roy." This showed that he was a very powerful governor. He knew how to get things done in the legislature.

After Being Governor

Roy Barnes and former US Senator Max Cleland

After leaving office, Barnes worked as a volunteer lawyer. He gave free legal advice to people who could not afford it. He also created a website to help people understand their consumer rights.

Profile in Courage Award

In 2003, Barnes received the Profile in Courage Award. This award recognized his bravery in changing the Georgia state flag. He made this change even though he knew it might cost him his job.

Barnes Law Group

Later, Barnes started his own law firm, the Barnes Law Group. He started it with his daughter, Allison Barnes Salter, his son-in-law, John Salter, and his long-time law partner, Charles Tanksley.

Working on Education Policy

In 2006, Barnes became co-chair of a group called the Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind. This group worked to improve education policies in the United States. They wanted to help all students achieve more in school.

Running for Governor Again

Barnes announced he would run for governor again in 2010. His campaign focused on creating jobs, protecting water sources, improving education, and expanding transportation.

He won the Democratic primary election. In the general election, he faced Republican Nathan Deal. On November 2, 2010, Barnes lost the election to Deal.

Images for kids

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  Barnes in 2010