Gov. Ned Lamont ordered flags at half-staff Friday night in honor of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg died Friday of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 87.
“Tonight, the nation mourns the unimaginable loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – a fierce and fiery champion for fairness and equality for all,” Lamont said in a statement. “Shattering the glass ceiling in the legal world, Justice Ginsburg overcame adversity both in and out of the courtroom – battling gender discrimination at a time when women were rarely serving as lawyers. She also fought cancer with rigor, rarely missing any days in court. A giant inspiration and pioneer for women globally, Justice Ginsburg should not just be remembered for what she stood for but what she stood against. Our nation is greater for her tenacity, dissension, and adversity against injustice. As Justice Ginsburg put it best, ‘there will be enough women on the court when there are nine.’”
Other Connecticut leaders also reacted to the news. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called her a giant who made the world a different place.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a giant. The world is a different place because of her. More than the laws she forged are the lives she touched. She was soft-spoken and slight in stature, but packed a mighty punch. She will always be a uniquely American icon – breaking barriers with courage and conviction, and letting nothing stop her from the classroom to the courtroom.”
Blumenthal, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, also addressed the issue of how her successor should be determined.
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“As to the appointment of Justice Ginsburg’s successor, I couldn’t improve on what Mitch McConnell said after Justice Scalia’s death: The American people must have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”
“This close to the election, there is no way that the United States Senate can or should act before the voters decide," he wrote.
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz also released a statement, which reads:
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a crusader, a fierce fighter for women’s rights, and a firm believer in justice for all. As the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg was a jurist of extraordinary talent. She approached every case — no matter the complexity — with compassion, intelligence, and wisdom. And in every aspect of her life, she exemplified grace, dignity, and tenacity. She tirelessly advocated for women’s reproductive freedoms and fought against discrimination in all its forms. She was a pioneer from the beginning and a true role model until the very end. I had the honor of knowing Justice Ginsburg since I was a child. My mother, Shirley Raissi Bysiewicz, and Justice Ginsburg were both law professors and colleagues at a time when very few women worked in the legal profession. She inspired many women, including me, to enter the legal profession. She showed the entire world that with perseverance and tenacity there is no obstacle you can’t overcome. She fought for all of us because she believed in the promise of our nation. Let us honor her legacy by continuing her fight for freedom, equality, and civil rights. May her memory be a blessing."
Many others also remembered Ginsburg as a champion for women.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life was about shattering barriers for women, and all Americans who experience discrimination,” said Congressman Courtney. “She had an exquisite legal mind, and clarity of thought and word that she used powerfully to change this country for the better," Rep. Joe Courtney said in a statement.
"Today, the world lost a force of nature, a firebrand. I am devasted by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Our country will never be the same. Our world has lost a giant," wrote Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
The statement continues: “Justice Ginsburg changed what it meant to be a woman in America. Long before she donned judicial robes, she knew women deserved a seat at every table and fought for equality with the weight of the world on her shoulders."
“In this dark time, I reflect on what our world would have looked like had Ruth Bader Ginsburg backed down from a fight. I wonder what women’s health care would look like and which freedoms would be missing. I wonder what universities would be accepting women and whether I would find a door with my name on it in the halls of Congress.
“Let us take this moment now to honor the brilliant, formidable woman that gave her entire life to the fight for equality. The road ahead seems dark, clouded by the unknown, but may we move forward with the tenacious commitment to justice exemplified by the life and legacy of the Notorious RBG. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, you will be sorely missed.”
Sen. Chris Murphy also reacted, tweeting " Ruth Bader Ginsburg changed her nation for the better. Fairness and justice, especially for those with the least access to power, were her north stars. She was a pioneer for women in the law, and a cultural icon on top of it all. May she rest in peace."
Other lawmakers also reacted.
US flag code requires flags to fly at half-staff until the date of interment after the death of an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
