Terrance Carroll facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terrance Carroll
Carroll in 2004
54th Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
In office January 7, 2009 – January 12, 2011
Preceded by	Andrew Romanoff
Succeeded by	Frank McNulty
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 7th district
In office January 8, 2003 – January 12, 2011
Succeeded by	Angela Williams
Personal details
Born	Terrance D. Carroll (1969-01-16) January 16, 1969 (age 56) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Occupation	Attorney, minister, politician

Terrance D. Carroll, born on January 16, 1969, is an American lawyer and minister. He used to be a lawmaker in Colorado and served as the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. He was the very first African American to hold this important position in Colorado. Mr. Carroll was elected as a Democrat in 2002. He represented District 7, which includes parts of Denver, Colorado.

About Terrance Carroll

Terrance Carroll grew up in Washington, D.C.. He was the only child of a single mother. His mother was the daughter of a share-cropper, someone who farmed land for a share of the crops.

Education and Early Career

Mr. Carroll attended Fork Union Military Academy and H. D. Woodson High School. He then graduated from Morehouse College in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, he moved to Colorado. He first worked as a campus police officer.

He later changed his focus to religion. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology in 1999. He also studied at the Harvard Divinity School in 2000. Terrance Carroll is an ordained Baptist minister. He continued his education and graduated from the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver in 2005. He earned a Juris Doctor degree, which is a law degree.

Life as a Lawyer and Speaker

While he was still in law school, Terrance Carroll was chosen to fill an open seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2003. He is also an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.

Today, Mr. Carroll works as an attorney with Sherman and Howard LLC. He also writes opinion columns for the Denver Post newspaper. He is a special guest lecturer at the University of Redlands in California.

Terrance Carroll's Time as a Lawmaker

Terrance Carroll represented District 7 in northeast Denver. This area is in the state of Colorado. During his time as a lawmaker, he held important roles. He was the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. This committee deals with laws about justice and courts. He also served as Assistant Majority Leader.

Becoming Speaker of the House

In November 2008, Mr. Carroll decided to run for Speaker. The Speaker is the leader of the House of Representatives. On November 8, 2008, lawmakers in the Colorado House of Representatives chose Terrance Carroll as their Speaker. He was sworn in as the 54th Speaker of the House in January 2009. This happened at the start of the Colorado General Assembly.

The Colorado constitution has rules about how long lawmakers can serve. Members of the Colorado House can serve four terms, each lasting two years. Terrance Carroll's term as Speaker ended in 2011.

Laws Terrance Carroll Supported

Terrance Carroll was known for supporting changes in education. In 2008, he worked with former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff. They sponsored a bill called SB130. This bill would give Colorado schools more power. Schools could make their own decisions about budgets, hiring teachers, and what to teach. They could also decide how long the school day would be.

He also supported bills to create new schools. He worked on making sure high school graduation rates were calculated the same way everywhere. Mr. Carroll also focused on laws about homeland security. These laws help keep the state safe. He also worked on issues related to civil and criminal justice.

He was also the first person to propose a bill to create the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. This highway is on Colorado's Interstate 70. It honors the brave African American pilots who served during World War II.