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TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF FORMER COLORADO GOVERNOR RICHARD LAMM
______
HON. DIANA DeGETTE
of colorado
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and achievements of Colorado's former Governor Richard ``Dick'' Lamm who passed away on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at the age of 85.
Governor Lamm was born and raised in the Midwest and lived all over the country in his youth, but he found his true home after he came to Colorado in 1962. In the nearly 60 years he lived in the state, he was a visionary leader helping craft the policies that became the bedrock of Colorado's future.
When he moved to Colorado, Dick was a newly-minted lawyer and an accountant. He established a law practice, but his strong desire to serve beckoned him to run for the Colorado House of Representatives. He was elected in 1964 and immediately began making a lasting mark on our state.
Then-Representative Lamm was a fierce advocate for women's reproductive health. In 1973, just three years after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, he passed the nation's first liberalized abortion law, enabling Colorado women to have control over their own health care. The law, still in effect today, has served as a national model for women's reproductive rights.
Concerned about transparency in government, Dick cosponsored and helped pass the Colorado Open Records Act which has since granted countless Coloradans access to their state and local governments' documents and activities on their behalf.
One of Dick's deepest passions was to preserve our precious environment. After he moved to Colorado, he became an avid outdoorsman and advocate for environmental justice and preservation. In 1972, concerned about the potential effects of the 1976 Olympics on Colorado's fragile ecosystem, he led the successful ballot initiative in which Colorado voters refused to fund the games, causing Denver to become the first host city in history to pull out of already-awarded games.
In 1974, Dick ran for governor to further his progressive agenda. During his campaign, he famously walked the entire state to support his platform of limiting growth to protect our environment. He went on to serve at the helm for 12 years, from 1975 to 1987.
In keeping with his strong advocacy for gender and racial equality, he diversified state government. His judicial appointments included the first woman Colorado Supreme Court Justice, Jean Dubofsky, and the first Hispanic Justice, Luis Rovira, who went on to become Chief Justice. In addition, Governor Lamm appointed women and people of color to his cabinet. He also successfully demonstrated how a Democratic governor could work with a Republican legislature to further the interests of the state, including strengthening our state's economy, maintaining a responsible budget, and protecting our citizens when natural disasters struck.
Even after Governor Lamm's final term, he never retired from the arena of public discourse. He held strong and frequently unpopular opinions, many of which were based on his lifelong concern about the future of our planet. Although his views were not the norm, he relished the public debate and never shied away from engaging in spirited policy discussions with friends and family, colleagues, members of the press, and his fellow Americans. I was privileged to engage in a number of those spirited discussions with him and, while we might not have agreed, I always came away learning something new.
Dick Lamm had a spectacular career in the public arena, but he would argue that his most important treasure was his family. In 1963, he married Dottie Vennard. They forged an important partnership that redefined the role of political spouse. With Dick's unwavering support, Dottie established herself as a strong feminist voice and gave a new definition to the term ``first lady.'' On the way, they parented two children, Heather and Scott. Their family bond is one of the strongest I have ever seen.
Madam Speaker, I offer my deepest personal condolences to Dottie, Heather, Scott, and all of Dick Lamm's family and friends. On a personal note, I was proud to count him as my friend and as a real mentor, modeling courage of conviction and hard work for future generations of political leaders. Dick will be remembered as the formidable figure he was who, in the critical development years of our state, shaped us for who we are today.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 152
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