U.S. flags in Kansas will fly at half-staff from Friday, Sept. 18, through the day of interment in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday.
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her life serving our country with passion and integrity,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release. “She was an agent for change, an advocate for the voiceless, and her legacy will live on in decisions that made America more equitable for all of us.”
Ginsburg, 87, served on the Supreme Court for 27 years. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and was known as a champion of equal rights. She died from complications of pancreatic cancer. She was appointed by former President Bill Clinton.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said in a news release, “Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”
President Donald Trump also has ordered flags at half-staff in honor of Ginsburg.
“Her opinions, including well-known decisions regarding the legal equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds,” President Trump said in a statement.
The ACLU, which Ginsburg worked with for equal rights for women before becoming a justice, posted on social media, “Few individuals have had such a dramatic and lasting effect as RBG. She leaves a country changed because of her life’s work.”
Tributes to Justice Ginsburg came in from several officials in Kansas.
From U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran: “Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer, tackling each challenge with passion, dedication and extraordinary intellect. She served her country with honor and had an historic impact on the court and the nation. Robba and I are praying for her family.”
From U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, District of Kansas: “Justice Ginsburg joined the Court after I was a law clerk. That said, she replaced my first Justice, Byron R. White, after he retired in 1993. She visited the KU Law School while I was Dean, and I had the pleasure of co-teaching a summer study abroad course with her in Istanbul, Turkey, a course that focused on equal protection law, her particular passion. She and her husband, Marty, were a delight in that summer program. Every one of my nine oral arguments before the Supreme Court included Justice Ginsburg, who often had pointed questions for me, but who also made a point of referring to me as ‘General McAllister’ when I appeared for Kansas in my role as Solicitor General. She was fastidious in both her respect for advocates and her preparation for oral arguments.
“Physically tiny, the Justice was in so many ways a giant. No one who is objectively and intellectually honest can deny that claim. I firmly believe my mentor Justice Thomas would agree with my assertion, as would have her dear friend Justice Scalia.
“Irrespective of jurisprudential or philosophical views, I had the utmost respect for Justice Ginsburg as a person. I, my wife who soon will become an elected state prosecutor, and our four daughters, are profoundly grateful to RBG for forever changing for the better the legal landscape for American women and equal rights, allowing them to seek opportunities, achieve their goals, and excel on equal footing with men across the entire spectrum of American economy and its variety of professions and pursuits.”
In a statement on social media, candidate Dr. Barbara Bollier, running for U.S. Senate, posted, “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be remembered as a giant who graced this world. She redefined our understanding of being a woman. My heart is so heavy.”
Dr. Roger Marshall, a U.S. representative from the 1st District and a candidate for U.S. Senate, posted on social media, “Laina and I are praying for Justice Ginsburg’s family during this difficult time. May the Lord comfort them in their time of loss.”