WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES (1949-2008)
Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a trailblazer in the world of law and order. She was the first African American woman from Ohio elected to the House of Representatives, the first African American to serve as a Chief Prosecutor in Cuyahoga County and the first African American woman elected to Congress from Ohio. Tubbs Jones was also the first Black woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee and the first Black woman to Chair a standing House Committee. In 2005 she sponsored the Count Every Vote Act responding to voting problems in Ohio which in turn improved voter accessibility and electronic voting machine security. Tubbs Jones wrote and passed the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act of 1999. Tubbs Jones’ legislative focus on children, education, and healthcare lasted throughout her time in Congress, and she authored and passed several more bills to promote healthcare and child welfare.