Lois DeBerry

Lois M. DeBerry (May 5th, 1945) is an American politician and the Speaker Pro Tempore of the Tennessee House of Representatives. She was elected to represent the 91st district, part of Shelby County, as a Democrat.cite web | title="Tennessee House Member" | url=http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/house/members/h91.htm | accessdate= September 13 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Education and career

Lois DeBerry has represented the 91st district since being elected to the 88th Tennessee General Assembly (1973-1974). In addition to serving on the House committees listed in the following paragraph, she is also Chair of the Special Committee to Study Integration of Ex-Offenders into Mainstream of Society, a member of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Reform Commission, and a member of the Governor's Minority Business Development Advisory Committee.

She presently serves on the House Calendar and Rules Committee; the House Government Operations Committee; the House Health & Human Resources Committee; the House Rules Committee; the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee; the House Ethics Committee; the House Budget Subcommittee; the House Health Care Facilities Subcommittee; the House Public Health and Family Assistance Subcommittee; the House Elections Subcommittee; the Joint Select Committee on Children and Youth; the Joint Select Oversight Committee on Corrections; and the House Committee to Study School Safety Issues.

Lois DeBerry currently works as an educator. In 1971, she graduated from LeMoyne-Owen College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is President Emeritus of National Black Caucus of State Legislators. She was the first African-American woman elected to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives from the city of Memphis, the first chairwoman of the Shelby County Delegation, and the first African-American woman to be elected speaker pro temporeof the House of Representatives.

Political views

Lois DeBerry co-sponsored a bill in May 2005 that would have required parents to volunteer in schools for at least 12 hours per year. [cite news|first=Claudette|last=Riley|title=Bill would make parents 'volunteer' in schools|publisher="The Tennessean"|date=May 15, 2005|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/05/03/69499551.shtml?Element_ID=69499551] She voted in April 2004 for women to be required to wait 24 hours and receive counseling before having an abortion. [cite news|first=Duren|last=Cheek|title=Bill would require wait period for women seeking abortions|publisher="The Tennessean"|date=April 22, 2004|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/04/04/50245843.shtml?Element_ID=50245843] She voted against a bill in March 2004 that would have banned civil unions and domestic partnerships in Tennessee. [cite news|first=Bonna|last=de la Cruz|title=Subcommittee kills civil union bill for year|publisher="The Tennessean"|date=March 25, 2004|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/04/03/48813993.shtml?Element_ID=48813993] In May 1999, she proposed a bill that restricted credit card companies from soliciting on college and university campuses. [cite news|author="Associated Press"|title=House passes toughened-up credit card solicitation bill |publisher="The Oak Ridger Online"|date=May 26, 1999|url=http://www.oakridger.com/stories/052699/stt_0526990039.html] She has been a close friend of former Vice President Al Gore for at least 25 years, and she put in his nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention. [cite news|author="Associated Press"|title=Gore wants to shorten title to 'president' |publisher="The Oak Ridger Online"|date=August 17, 2000|url=http://www.oakridger.com/stories/081700/stt_0817000002.html]

Controversies

Rep. Lois DeBerry accepted $200 from an undercover FBI agent posing as a businessman during Operation Tennessee Waltz, while celebrating a birthday with Sen. Kathryn I. Bowers in 2004. DeBerry defended the decision, saying she did nothing wrong, and that she thought the money was a birthday present. As a result of the incident, she stepped down from the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethics. [cite news|author="Associated Press"|title=Lois DeBerry defends taking $200 cash from undercover FBI agent|publisher="The Tennessean"|date=July 27, 2005|url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050727/NEWS0201/50727004/1009/NEWS] [cite news|first=Lois|last=DeBerry|title=Rep. Lois DeBerry's statement|publisher="The Tennessean"|date=July 29, 2005|url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050729/NEWS0201/507290429]

References