COLUMBUS – Ohio leaders from both political parties and all branches of government are remembering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a pioneer, an inspiration and a champion of equal rights.
Governor Mike DeWine has ordered flags at all public buildings in the state flown at half-staff immediately until sunset on the date of Ginsburg’s interment “to honor her life and legacy.”
Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her work ethic, her devotion to the court, her own fight to break down barriers, her long friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia even though they were opposites philosophically, and her courageous fight against cancer stand as examples to all of us. She served with a strength and dignity that inspires us all. May her memory be a blessing.” -Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH)
“Justice Ginsburg shattered glass ceilings for women who haven’t yet been born, and brought our country closer to living up to our founding ideals. Her intellect and passion and commitment to justice were simply unmatched. I pray that the same force of principles to which she held herself will help guide the leaders of this country. The American people deserve a voice in the momentous decision we now face and it was her dying wish, according to her family, that we wait for their choice to lead us to take office in January to confirm a new justice. We honor Justice Ginsburg best by fighting as hard as we can to preserve her legacy and ensure that women are in all places where decisions are being made.” -U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
“I’m saddened to hear of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a brilliant lawyer and a pioneer in the legal profession as only the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was respected by all who knew her and admired by so many as a trail blazer and a champion for equal rights. Her personal friendship and respect for colleagues across the ideological spectrum, including conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, serves as an example for all of us. Jane and I extend our condolences to her family and her colleagues on their loss.”
-U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg used her considerable talents to fight for equal protection under the law for all, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual identity, disability, or national origin. America has lost a jurist with a conscience, true consistent convictions, civility, a sense of humor and a love of the law. America has lost a lodestar. I, along with so many who admired and respected RBG, am truly devastated by her passing. May she rest in peace.” –Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio
“My heart breaks tonight, along with so many other Americans, as together we mourn the loss of a true American treasure. Justice Ginsburg has been an inspiration to me and to so many other women in the legal profession. She was a champion of equality and reproductive justice as she fought for ALL of us from the bench. She was a trailblazer, a real American hero, and we are a better country because she served on the High Court. Rest in peace, Notorious RBG.” -Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron)
Ginsburg’s death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate, and the Republican-led Senate should confirm, her replacement, or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of his race against Democrat Joe Biden is known.
Ohio’s senators are divided on the issue, with Republican Rob Portman saying he would vote on a nominee if Trump names one.
“In the more than two dozen vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court during a presidential election year in our nation’s history, the sitting president made a nomination in every single case. [Senate Majority] Leader [Mitch] McConnell has said that he will hold a vote on any nominee President Trump sends to the Senate, and I intend to fulfill my role as a U.S. Senator and judge that nominee based on his or her merits, ” Portman said.
Democrat Sherrod Brown believes the appointment should wait until after the outcome of the election is known.
“The American people deserve a voice in the momentous decision we now face. We must wait for their choice to lead us to take office in January to confirm a new justice,” he tweeted Saturday .
McConnell vowing to bring President Donald Trump’s nominee to a vote with just over six weeks before the election. Democrat Joe Biden says there should be no nomination or vote until the next president is decided.
McConnell, in a statement released just over an hour after Ginsburg’s death was announced, declared unequivocally that Trump’s nominee would receive a vote.