| Ask anyone who knew Katrina R. Jackson at age 3 and they could tell you one thing - she was going to be a lawyer and fight for people. And that is just what she does as both an attorney and a State Representative representing Morehouse and Ouachita Parishes in the Louisiana Legislature. She is now our Senator, representing and advocating for our area.
Katrina was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Welton and Patricia Holman and Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Linda Jackson.
Katrina graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe where she majored in Pre-Law and Legal Studies. Her commitment to an aspiring career in the legal profession led her to receive her Juris Doctorate from Southern University in Baton Rouge in 2004.
One force that can't be denied is her love and devotion to her Lord, Jesus Christ. She was brought up in the Christian faith.
Armed with her law degree and several years of mentoring from attorney and former State Representative Willie Hunter, Jr., Katrina came to the Louisiana Legislature in 2006 as a Staff Attorney for the House Committee on Labor & Industrial Relations and as Executive Director of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.
In 2011 she announced for the 16th State House seat (parts of Ouachita and Morehouse Parishes) being vacated and won in the first round of voting against 3 other opponents. She was subsequently elected without opposition in 2015 for a second term.
The smile that Katrina keeps on her face in good times and bad is well known throughout the Capitol. Known as a tough negotiator who often gets more than her opponents wanted to give up from the bargaining table, Katrina hasn't shied away from leadership roles and is well versed in the procedures and politics that make her such a good fighter for her values and constituents.
Whether it's protecting working and middle-class families from tax increases that unfairly burden them to fighting for women to receive equal pay for equal work, there's no better friend and advocate in the Capitol than Katrina. She's helped protect our state's agricultural interests, funded roads and bridges back home, ensured that student athletes have access to defibrillators in their schools and protected the uninsured's access to quality affordable healthcare. But children have a special place in her heart, and she is a passionate and outspoken protector of the unborn's right to life and funding for K-12 education in the State Legislature.
At home you can find Katrina worshipping with her family at Riverside Missionary Baptist Church, fighting for clients in criminal and civil law cases, and spending time educating, working with, and listening to her constituents at churches, senior centers and community venues.
Katrina attributes her accomplishments to not just having a dream, but having a dream that lines up with God's plan for her life. She believes her footsteps are ordered by God and every day she works to allow God to guide her in the process of realizing her dream.
Committee Assignments, Leadership Positions, Awards and Accolades-
Chair, House Committee on Judiciary
Member, House Committee on Health and Welfare
Member, House Executive Committee
Member, Select Leadership Committee
Ad Hoc Member, House Appropriations
Interim Member, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget
Member, Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission
Former Vice Chair and Member, Democratic Caucus
Former Chair and Member, Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (LLBC)
Secretary and Member, Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus
Member, Louisiana Rural Caucus
Member, North Louisiana Legislative Delegation
Member, Supreme Court Advisory Committee
Annual Leadership Award, by Supported Living Network, 2012
African American Trailblazers Award by African American Women Trailblazers, 2012
Legislator of the Year, Louisiana Municipal Association Black Caucus, 2012-2013
Louisiana Conference of Black Mayors Award & Network Coalition, 2013
Distinguished Alumnus Award, Southern University Law Center, April 2014
Defender of Life for 2014 Legislative Session Award, Louisiana Right to Life, 2014
Humanitarian Award, Monroe Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Life & Liberty Award, Louisiana Family Forum, 2014
Award of Appreciation, Louisiana Hospital Association, 2015
Legislator of the Year, Louisiana State Troopers Association, 2015
Legislator of the Year, Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians, 2015
Champion of Louisiana Juvenile Justice, State Office of Juvenile Justice, 2015
Humanitarian Award, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation of Ouachita, 2016
2016 Legislator of the Year, Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians
Chamber of Southwest Louisiana 2016 Legis-Gator Business Champion Award
Life and Liberty Award, Louisiana Family Forum, 2016
UH Warrior Award, University Health Conway, 2016
Top 20 at 40 Outstanding Business Professionals, Monroe Chamber of Commerce, 2017
2017 Legislator of the Year, Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians
2017 Legislator of the Year, Louisiana Orthopedic Association, 2017
L. D. Land Government Service Award, Greater Grambling Chamber of Commerce, 2017
2018 Legislative Advocate of the Year, District 5, Louisiana State Medical Society |