DOVER – House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst and Majority Whip Larry Mitchell issued the following joint statement on the passing of former Governor Ruth Ann Minner:
“Ruth Ann Minner was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She led one of the most extraordinary political careers in Delaware history. A twice-widowed mother of three who didn’t finish high school, she worked her way up from a job as a Delaware House attaché to being a two-term governor. While she made history as Delaware’s first female governor, her story of how she got involved in public service is nothing short of inspirational.
“As a widow with young children in the 70s, Ruth Ann was confronted by a law that required her husband to co-sign any loan application. When her local elected official wouldn’t help correct this injustice, Ruth Ann ran for the state House to right the wrong herself for all women. She continued a lifetime of public serve as a state representative, state senator, Delaware’s first female lieutenant governor and ultimately was elected governor in 2000.
“As governor, Ruth Ann championed Delaware’s landmark 2002 Clean Indoor Air Act, as the First State became just the second state to enact an indoor smoking ban that is now commonplace across the country. She led the charge on addressing Delaware’s rising cancer rates and fought to ensure all students have access to full-day kindergarten and math and reading specialists. She was instrumental in establishing the SEED scholarship program that has helped thousands of Delawareans obtain a college degree.
“Governor Minner also championed equal rights, becoming the first governor to support legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. She inspired a generation of young women and girls to reach for heights never before thought possible.
“Those who served with and knew Ruth Ann best admired her work ethic, compassion and dedication. She had a warm heart and a tough resolve, which made her an incredibly effective leader. We are deeply saddened by her passing, and we hope her stories are told so that her memory lives on forever.”
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