During his years in the Illinois General Assembly, Jones often kept up the traditions of old-school politicians. He has steered state money to a few favored institutions, including some that employ his relatives. Some of his relatives also have gotten state jobs and his wife’s government salary got a sizable boost after he became Senate president in 2003, when the Blagojevich administration created a special salary class. Jones faced scrutiny after it was reported that his wife received a $70,000 pay raise two months after she and Jones were married and four months after she started her position, when Governor Rod Blagojevich created a special salary class for her position. Jones also received attention in 2008 for postponing a vote on an automatic legislative pay raise of 7.5% which would go into effect if the Senate did not vote on the proposal (the House voted no).