AUGUSTA - Following the announcement of the passing of the Honorable Lois Galgay Reckitt, Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, House Majority Leader Mo Terry, D-Gorham, and Assistant Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston, released the following statements.
Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross issued the following statement:
"I am so saddened by Lois' passing. She will be remembered as a trailblazer, a feminist icon and for her relentless efforts on behalf of Maine women and families. I was blessed to know Lois for five decades and I will never forget her courage, resiliency and her fierce dedication to justice. Her legacy of leadership and her tenacity will continue to inspire us all. Our thoughts and prayers go to Lois' family and loved ones during this difficult time. We will forever cherish her contributions to our state and will honor her memory as we strive to carry on the important work she began."
House Majority Leader Mo Terry and Assistant Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier issued the following statement:
"Rep. Lois Reckitt was a modern pioneer whose exceptional courage, strength and leadership served as an inspiration to us all. Throughout her life, she relentlessly fought to create a more equitable future for women in Maine and across the country from advocating for a federal Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s to her work as a state representative advocating for justice and protecting our most vulnerable. She also co-founded the Maine Women's Lobby, the Maine Coalition for Human Rights and Maine Right to Choose, and was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 1998.
Her leadership helped pave the way for so many who followed in her footsteps, and will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of women. We are truly lucky to have been able to call her a colleague and a friend. Our hearts are with her wife, Lyn, and her entire family as they grieve this loss."
Contact:
Mary Erin Casale [Talbot Ross], 207-415-4965
Brian Lee [Terry, Cloutier], 305-965-2744