Jane Dee Hull was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 8, 1935. Governor Hull is married to Dr. Terry Hull. Dr. Hull practiced medicine in Pheonix for 32 wears and now works as a consultant.
Governor Hull and Dr. Hull have four children and eight grandchildren. Governor Hull received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Kansas and also did postgraduate work in political science and economics at Arizona State University. She is a graduate of the Josephson Ethics Institute.
Governor Hull and her husband moved to Arizona in 1962. Dr. Hull served as a physician in public health service and the Governor taught school on the Navajo Nation until 1964. In 1979 Governor Hull was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. She served from 1999 to 1992, and she was the first woman speaker of the house.
In 1993, she ran a successful campaign for secretary of state, becoming the second woman to hold that office and the first Republican since 1931. Since her inducted into office, Hull lists education, healthcare, the economy and preserving the state’s natural beauty as her top priorities. Governor Hull is a strong supporter of Homeland Security measures to ensure the safety of the people of Arizona. During her term as governor, Hull has appointed a record amount of judicial appointments.
Her Students FIRST’ school facilities funding program ensures equity for every student in Arizona, no matter where they live. Forty-four new schools were built and opened and another 120 new schools have been approved. An addition, $1 billion dollars will be set aside for upgrading current school buildings. In Hull’s Education 2000 program, which will raise $459 million in new funds, provides higher teacher salaries and smaller classrooms in kindergarten through high school.
Since the Governors acceptance into office, nearly 136,000 children of the working and lower class will now receive health coverage thanks to the Governor’s KidsCare program. In behavioral health, funding for the seriously mentally ill has increased by 80 percent since the Governor took office, up from $102 million in fiscal year 1997 to $185 million in fiscal year 2001. The Governor also obtained approval to build a new Arizona State Hospital and the initial phases of construction have begun. Under Governor Hull’s leadership and contract with Qwest Communications, Arizona is one of the first states to assure that all of Arizona’s public schools will have access to the Internet. All the students in more than 1,200 schools in Arizona will have their own e-mail addresses and all teachers will be able to create their own web sites. Hull has worked extensively on trade issues with Mexican officials and other governors of Border States.
She has been selected to chair the 2002 20th Anniversary Border Governors’ Conference. Governor Hull was selected to chair the Western Governors’ Association and will serve the WGA through August 2002. Governor Hull does not plan to run for governor in 2003. She will support party mate, Matt Salmon for the next election.
