Longtime Rhode Island lawmaker and Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin has died of cancer, WJAR reports. She was 58.
Goodwin was first elected to the Senate in 1986. She represented District 1 - Providence, which includes the Smith Hill neighborhood where she grew up. Some of her key platforms focused on elder care and health care, preventing domestic violence, worker protection and gun laws. After her diagnosis of colorectal cancer, she also sponsored legislation to promote cancer awareness and screenings.
Gov. Dan McKee ordered flags lowered to half-staff in her honor over the weekend.
"We will keep your legacy alive and keep your family in our thoughts and prayers," McKee wrote in a statement.
"Our hearts are shattered by the news that our beloved colleague Maryellen Goodwin has passed away. Her accomplishments are numerous, and her legacy will be indelible. Maryellen made an unforgettable impact on all of us in the Senate, and on all who knew her," Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio wrote.
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