PRESS RELEASE
NEW YORK — New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released the following statement regarding the death of Louise Slaughter.
“The passing of Representative Slaughter is a tremendous loss for the City of Rochester, and all New Yorkers.
Born the daughter of a blacksmith, she never lost her Kentucky accent, but she rose to become an icon in Western New York. She got her political start as an activist trying to protect the Hart’s Woods from development, and although she wasn’t successful in that endeavor, she never gave up fighting for what she believed in, from the County Legislature, to the State Assembly to the halls of Congress.
Despite the sexism she faced while running for office as a woman and as the mother of young children, she prevailed, and rose to become the first woman chair of the powerful House Rules Committee. As an influential voice for women in our nation’s capital, she coauthored the landmark Violence Against Women Act, among other critical legislation.In my own experience working with Representative Slaughter to protect the Great Lakes from pollution and combat the opioid epidemic, her deep knowledge of policy and profound commitment to her community always shined through.
She was beloved by the Rochester community and will be sorely missed. I offer my sincere condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.”
