Governor Janet Mills issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor:

“Sandra Day O’Connor rose from humble roots in Texas to become one of the most consequential and influential Supreme Court Justices in American history. Unable to find employment as a lawyer after graduating from Stanford because of prejudice against women, O’Connor—the daughter of a Texas rancher—blazed her own trail, becoming a respected attorney, judge, the first woman to serve as a majority leader in a state legislature, and the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. America is a better place because of her perseverance and public service. “