Representative Matt Jones (Louisville)
State Representative Matt Jones (D-Louisville)
Rep. Matt Jones served three terms in the legislature from 1986-1992, then returned to the statehouse in 2010 when he won House District 12, which includes Lafayette, Louisville and Longmont.
In his first year back, Rep. Jones sponsored the Small Business Navigator bill, providing one-stop shopping and red-tape cutting to help small businesses create jobs. He helped protect $90 million for K-12 classrooms and defended Start Smart school breakfast funding for eligible students. He worked across the aisle to restore $2 million to community health centers like Salud and Clinica Campesina to help people stay healthy at lower cost.
He serves on the Transportation Committee, where he pushes Fastracks to Longmont and Louisville and clean energy job creation; and the Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee, where he works on environmental issues like parks and wildlife.
Rep. Jones has a long record of leadership on environmental issues. During his first stint in the legislature he pioneered energy conservation “performance contracting” legislation creating jobs, saving money for schools and local governments, and reducing air pollution. He played a pivotal role in enabling the state to set air pollution standards above federal levels to better protect Coloradans, and he worked to pass the Great Outdoors Colorado initiative, which provides money for open space, trails and parks.
As the son and grandson of teachers, providing educational opportunity is part of Rep. Jones’s DNA. He fought for funding for smaller class sizes so youngsters could get the attention they need to succeed. He pushed through a bill that allows Coloradans to consolidate their student loans.
After Rep. Jones was first elected to the State House in 1986, his Democratic colleagues made him their assistant minority leader after only one term.
He left the legislature in 1993 to focus on supporting his family but ran again in 2010 because he never lost the burning desire to improve the state he loves. For the 2012 session, he’s focused on creating jobs and fixing the economy.
Matt Jones knows how to face challenges, get back up and come back stronger. As a young man, he battled back from thyroid cancer to have his best years as a professional mogul skier. Then he was diagnosed with leukemia and told he would probably die in two years. That was six years ago, and his doctors now say he will live as long as anyone.
He lives in Louisville with his wife, Shari. His daughter, Jessica, is in college.
