Rhoda Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Rhoda S. Jacobs is an American politician
from the state of New York
. A Democrat
, she currently serves as a member of the New York State Assembly
from the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn
, which primarily includes the neighborhoods of Flatbush
and Midwood.
A Brooklyn
native and a graduate of Brooklyn College
Assemblywoman Jacobs was originally elected to the then 43rd District in 1978. Jacobs faced a difficult re-election in 1982 after the Assembly
was redistricted
in a reapportionment plan designed to increase African-American and Hispanic
representation in the Legislature
. Jacobs ended up in the new 42nd District where she prevailed and has remained there ever since. She currently serves as the Assistant Speaker of the New York State Assembly
.
She previously served as Assistant Speaker Pro Tem
and Chairwoman of Majority Program Committee as well as the Social Services Committee. Positions that she occupied for two and twelve years respectively.
In the past she has also served as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation and the Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy. In 1997, Jacobs was appointed as Chairwoman of the Budget Conference Committee on Health and Human Services.
In addition to these positions within the Assembly
, she has also served as an officer for the National Association of State Legislators and as an elected delegate to other national legislative bodies.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, she currently serves as a member of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
from the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, which primarily includes the neighborhoods of Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
and Midwood.
A Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
native and a graduate of Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
Assemblywoman Jacobs was originally elected to the then 43rd District in 1978. Jacobs faced a difficult re-election in 1982 after the Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
was redistricted
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
in a reapportionment plan designed to increase African-American and Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
representation in the Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
. Jacobs ended up in the new 42nd District where she prevailed and has remained there ever since. She currently serves as the Assistant Speaker of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
.
She previously served as Assistant Speaker Pro Tem
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
and Chairwoman of Majority Program Committee as well as the Social Services Committee. Positions that she occupied for two and twelve years respectively.
In the past she has also served as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation and the Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy. In 1997, Jacobs was appointed as Chairwoman of the Budget Conference Committee on Health and Human Services.
In addition to these positions within the Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
, she has also served as an officer for the National Association of State Legislators and as an elected delegate to other national legislative bodies.