Sam Olens
| Sam Olens | |
|---|---|
| 53rd Georgia Attorney General | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2011 |
|
| Governor | Nathan Deal |
| Preceded by | Thurbert Baker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Samuel Scott Olens July 8, 1957 Miami, Florida |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lisa[1] |
| Children | 2 children[1] |
| Alma mater | American University, Emory University School of Law[1] |
| Religion | Jewish[2] |
Samuel Scott "Sam" Olens (born July 8, 1957)[3] is the Attorney General for the state of Georgia. Previously, he was the chairman of the Cobb County Commission. He defeated former District Attorney Ken Hodges in the 2010 state elections in Georgia. Olens is the first person of the Jewish faith to win a statewide, partisan race in Georgia.[2]
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Early life and career [edit]
Olens is a Florida native, who was raised in New Jersey.[2] He was elected to the Cobb County Commission in 1998, serving until 2010.[4] He was the commission's chairman from 2002 to 2010. Since 2004, he has served as the chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission.[5]
2010 election [edit]
Olens defeated state senator Preston Smith to win the Republican nomination for attorney general.[6] In the general election, he defeated former Dougherty County District Attorney Ken Hodges.[7]
2012 Georgia Tech Twitter Controversy [edit]
On November 20, 2012, Olens offended students, alumni, and friends of the Georgia Institute of Technology by stating on Twitter: I just saw a billboard congratulating Tech ACC Coastal football champs! Miami won it, Tech is 6-6, how embarrassing. [8] Olens' statement was in reference to the fact that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team was selected to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division in the upcoming 2012 ACC Championship Game as a result of a self-imposed post-season ban by the University of Miami. Olens' comment was factually incorrect as the ACC would have considered Georgia Tech, Miami, and University of North Carolina co-champions of the ACC Coastal Conference regardless of any ban.
Olens apologized to fans, stating I apologize if I offended any students, alumni & fans of Georgia Tech. I am proud to have a renowned, world-class institution in Georgia.[9]
Legislative Victories [edit]
Alarmed by the sex trafficking statistics in Georgia, Olens joined forces with legislators during his first legislative session as Attorney General to advocate for a stronger human trafficking law in Georgia. HB 200 went into effect on July 1, 2011.
Reference: http://law.ga.gov/press-releases/2011-03-29/senate-passes-hb-200-combating-sex-trafficking
A vocal proponent of government transparency since serving in county government, Olens’ first order of business was to work with legislators to pass a re-write of Georgia's Open Meetings and Open Records Laws. HB 397 passed in the 2012 legislative session and was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on April 17, 2012.
Reference: http://law.ga.gov/hb-397-georgias-updated-sunshine-laws
Republican National Convention Address [edit]
Olens delivered a primetime address on national healthcare reform and federal regulatory overreach to the Republican National Convention in Tampa on August 29, 2012.
Reference: http://samolens.com/2012/08/30/sam-olens-addresses-republican-national-convention/
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-08-09/georgia-attorney-general-sam-olens-speak-gop-convention
http://samolens.com/2012/08/30/sam-olens-addresses-republican-national-convention/
Most Influential List [edit]
In January 2012, Olens was named to Georgia Trend Magazines Most Influential List for the ninth consecutive year.
http://www.georgiatrend.com/January-2013/Most-Influential-Georgians-Georgias-Power-List/
References [edit]
- ^ a b c "About Sam". Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ a b c Galloway, Jim (November 6, 2010). "Sam Olens breaks through an ancient Georgia barrier". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Atlanta Forward: Sam Olens, Republican for attorney general". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. November 1, 2010.
- ^ "Attorney General-elect Samuel S. Olens (GA)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ "Night of primaries reaps decisions in four states". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 11, 2010.
- ^ Bluestein, Greg (November 3, 2010). "Olens defeats Hodges to win Georgia attorney general race". The Daily Citizen. Unknown parameter
|service=ignored (help) - ^ Galloway, Jim (November 30, 2012). "On Sam Olens and the power of Twitter — plus some angry Tech fans". Atlanta Journal Constitution . Retrieved 30 November 2012.
- ^ "Sam Olens Twitter Apology". Retrieved 30 November 2012.
External links [edit]
- Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens official state government site
- Sam Olens at Project Vote Smart
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by Thurbert Baker |
Georgia Attorney General 2011- |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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