Jerry Knowles

Jerome P. Knowles (born July 30, 1948) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 124th legislative district.[1]

Jerry Knowles
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 124th district
In office
May 19, 2009 – November 30, 2022
Preceded byDave Argall
Succeeded byJamie Barton
Personal details
Born (1948-07-30) July 30, 1948
Coaldale, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLorraine
Residence(s)Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Knowles was first elected in a special election in May 2009 to fill the vacancy left by Dave Argall, who was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate to succeed the late Senator James J. Rhoades. He defeated his Democratic opponent, Bill Mackey, with more than 70% of the vote.

Career

Prior to his election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Knowles served as councilman and mayor of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania and later a Schuylkill County commissioner.

Knowles sat on the Judiciary and Local Government committees.[2] He announced in February 2022 that he would not seek re-election. He was succeeded by businessman Jamie Barton.

Political positions

Knowles opposes legalizing adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania, calling it a "dangerous and illegal drug". He also opposes lessening the criminal penalties of cannabis possession.[3] In addition, he introduced a bill that would eliminate state funding to municipalities that support or operate safe injection sites for drug users.[4]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Knowles put out a statement advocating for his constituents to stay vigilant[5] he voted to end the Governor's emergency stay-at-home order[6] and pushed for the governor to ease restrictions on his county.[7] As public schools began to consider reopening for in-person classes, Knowles began soliciting co-sponsors for legislation that would roll back mandatory mask wearing in schools for young children, which he believed was an impractical mandate and a decision that should be made by individuals and schools.[8]

In March 2020, Knowles yelled at one of two openly gay lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, calling him a "little girl" as he was speaking on the floor wearing a rainbow mask.[9] In 2018, he signed onto a letter asking to eliminate LGBTQ+ inclusive birth certificates. The letter asked that Pennsylvania resume issuing birth certificates with the parents listed under a "mother/father" section, instead of the current "parent/parent" section.

Campaigns

Knowles did not face a Democratic challenger in a general election. In the 2020 election, Knowles was challenged by Taylor Picone, an officer of the U.S. Army National Guard. Knoweles defeated Picone significantly, receiving 72.5% of the vote.

References
  1. "Jerry P. Knowles". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  2. "Representative Jerry Knowles". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  3. Knowles, Jerry (2019-09-26). "Wolf's Call to Legalize Marijuana is Wrong, Says Knowles". PA State Rep. Jerry Knowles. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  4. "Bill Information - House Bill 2054; Regular Session 2019-2020". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  5. Heffley. "Carbon County Moving to 'Yellow' Phase, But Residents Must Remain Vigilant, Say Heffley, Yudichak, Knowles".
  6. "House Roll Calls - 2019 RCS# 1406". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  7. Knowles, Jerry (2020-05-13). "Schuylkill County Delegation Issues Statement On Remaining 'Red'". repknowles.com. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  8. "HB2814 Sponsorship Memorandum". Pennsylvania General Assembly. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  9. Browning, Bil (2020-05-29). "Out lawmaker called a "little girl" by Republican as he gave a speech on the House floor". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
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