[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14233]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        TRIBUTE TO JACK JEFFREY

 Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to honor John E. Jeffrey 
as he retires from an outstanding career of service to the people of 
Nevada.
  I have known Jack since we were teenagers attending Basic High School 
in Henderson, NV. He is a talented electrician, a compassionate public 
servant, and a dedicated family man. Jack is also a friend.
  Jack's public service began three decades ago, when he was elected to 
the Henderson City Council in 1971. Working to expand educational 
opportunity has been a central tenet of Jack's career. Fittingly, his 
first major accomplishment was to successfully negotiate with the 
Nevada State senate to acquire the first two buildings for the 
Henderson campus of Clark County Community College.
  In 1975, Jack's influence expanded from City Hall to Carson City, 
when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly by a margin of only 
six votes.
  ``We overspent,'' he said when told of the tiny bit of daylight 
between himself and his opponent. ``We wasted money campaigning for the 
five votes I didn't need.''
  Jack's first of many reelections was won by a more comfortable 28-
vote margin.
  His 16 distinguished years in the Assembly include recognition as the 
Clark County Teachers Association's ``Friend of Education,'' and the 
International Police Association's ``Legislator of the Year.''
  Jack's Democratic colleagues respected him enough to elect him 
majority whip--a position close to my heart--in 1977, and then chose 
him as their majority floor leader in 1981.
  Jack is proud to have been a tireless advocate for increasing special 
education funds while he was in the Assembly. He believes special needs 
students deserve a quality education too, and he worked to make sure 
there will be opportunities for them.
  Since leaving the Assembly in 1991, Jack has continued to fight to 
improve the quality of life for working people in Nevada. He's been an 
active member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 
Local 357 all his adult life, and understands the trials and 
tribulations of working men and women and their families. Jack has been 
an invaluable asset to Southern Nevada Central Labor Council and to the 
Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council, and earlier 
this month he was named ``Consumer Advocate of the Year.''
  The working men and women in Nevada work in better and safer jobs 
because of Jack. In fact, all people in Nevada are better off because 
of Jack Jeffrey. I wish Jack and his wife, Betty, the very best in 
retirement.

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