Burt Jones

While some Georgia Republicans acknowledged Joe Biden's victory, Jones promoted Trump's claims of election irregularities.[14][15] In December 2020, Jones was one of four state Senate Republicans who signed a petition calling on the Georgia General Assembly to overrule the outcome of democratic elections within the state and "take back the power to appoint electors."[14] The petition called on Governor Brian Kemp to convene a special session of the legislature to award Georgia's 16 electors to Trump, who narrowly lost the state.[16] Kemp denied the request.[16]

On January 5, 2021 hours before the U.S. Senate certified the electoral votes from the 2020 election, Jones brought a letter signed by himself and 16 other State Legislators attempting to delay the certification.[17] While Jones had a private audience with Vice President Mike Pence that evening he decided against delivering the letter instead leaving it with his Uber driver.[17]

On January 19, 2021, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan stripped Jones of his chairmanship and membership of the state Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.[15] Jones later said in an interview with an Oconee Radio Station, "He never was that excited about chairing the committee."[18][19] Over a series of months in 2021, Jones continued to question the results of the presidential election in Georgia.[20] In July 2021, Jones was featured at a pro-Trump convention in Rome, Georgia, centering on Trump's false claims of election fraud.[8]

In January 2022, the Justice Department began a criminal investigation into Jones' as one of the false electors who attempted to forge electoral certificates for the State of Georgia after the 2020 election.[21]

On March 3, 2021 Jones voted against SB 47, the "Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act", which would give children with special needs access to the state's school voucher program in order to attend a school that better suited their needs.[22][23]

On February 11, 2021, Jones co-sponsored SB 171, the "Safe Communities Act of 2021", which increases penalties for certain offenses committed during an unlawful assembly.[24] The bill failed to receive a committee vote before Georgia's crossover day.[25] The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia said the bill "tramples on and makes a mockery of the First Amendment."[26]

On February 22, 2021, Jones introduced SB 233.[27] The bill was co-sponsored by Senator Jen Jordan D-6 and matched the reforms called for by Democratic state leaders like Stacey Abrams after the 2018 election.[28]

On February 23, 2021, Jones co-sponsored SB 241, revising the elections and voting regulations of Georgia, ending no-excuse absentee voting and requiring an ID number for absentee voting.[29] The bill passed through the Georgia Senate on March 8, 2021.[30] Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia and Fair Fight Action have criticized the bill for undermining voting rights and disproportionately targeting voters of color.[31][32]

Jones has served on the Board of Directors of the Butts County Water and Sewage Authority since 2009.[33] During Jones' 13 year tenure on the Board he was absent at 41% of the 138 Board meetings.[33] Also during his tenure Jones voted to raise taxes on three separate occasions resulting in a 38% spike in water and sewage rates over the course of his tenure.[33]