The chair of Progressive Maryland's board, Sean Dobson, remembers Del. Sheila Hixson, the longest-serving woman in the General Assembly.  She died in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. last Sunday at 89.

Sheila Hixson, Champion of Working Families, Passes Away at Age 89

By Sean Dobson

We learned this week with a heavy heart that a champion of working families, Sheila Hixson, who represented the Silver Spring area for nearly 40 years in the Maryland House of Delegates until 2017, passed away at the age of 89. Sheila was a feminist trailblazer who as Chairwoman of the Ways & Means Committee became one of the first women to wield significant power in our state. She used it to fight hard and effectively for working families, notably on the issues of tax fairness and Clean Elections public funding of campaigns, among many others. She worked with PM and allies shoulder to shoulder to ensure that Maryland -- the bluest of blue states -- lives up to its progressive potential as a beacon to the rest of the country for fairness and opportunity for all. Progressive Maryland will miss this friend and ally, not only for her leadership, but also for her grace under pressure, effervescent personality, and sense of humor.

Other memories and tributes to Hixson are here Maryland Matters and here Baltimore Sun

Sean Dobson is chair of Progressive Maryland's board.