[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO TONY EARL

  Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize former 
Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of 
his election to the Wisconsin State Assembly and the beginning of a 
remarkable career of public service. Governor Earl is a progressive 
champion in Wisconsin politics and government. He successfully fought 
to clean up our polluted waters and protect our environment. He is 
passionate about building a society where no one is left behind, and he 
listens to and fights for those whose voices are too often not heard.
  Anthony Scully Earl was born in St. Ignace, MI, and enjoyed his 
childhood on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As the son of a grocery store 
owner, Tony was influenced by his father's strong work ethic. He took 
this work ethic with him to Michigan State, where he graduated in 1958. 
After earning his law degree at the University of Chicago, Tony served 
our country in the U.S. Navy for 4 years.
  Following his military service, he moved to Wausau, WI, in 1965 and 
immediately became an integral part of the community. He served as an 
assistant district attorney of Marathon County for a year before 
becoming the first full-time city attorney for Wausau from 1966 to 
1969. Following the nomination of Wisconsin Congressman Melvin Laird to 
serve as Secretary of Defense and the special election of Dave Obey to 
succeed Laird in Congress, Tony himself was elected to fill Dave Obey's 
seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Tony was so respected by his 
colleagues that he was elected majority leader after only 1 year in the 
assembly.
  He was later tapped by Governor Patrick Lucey to serve as Secretary 
of the Department of Administration, followed by service as Secretary 
of the Department of Natural Resources. He chaired the Center for Clean 
Air Policy and directed the Great Lakes Protection Fund. In recognition 
of his passionate stewardship of Wisconsin's natural beauty and his 
commitment to environmental protection, the State of Wisconsin recently 
renamed the Peshtigo State Forest in his honor.
  In 1982, Tony Earl was elected Governor of Wisconsin. As Governor, 
Tony was principled, courageous, and bold. He was a passionate advocate 
for equality, and his leadership had a profound impact, particularly on 
women. Recognizing that people working in female-dominated fields were 
often paid less than workers in comparable male-dominated jobs, Tony 
established a commission to conduct a comprehensive study of the 
comparable worth of State government jobs and then used that data to 
establish pay equity for State employees. He led by example and his 
work informed decisions by other governmental entities and the private 
sector.
  Early in my career, I had the privilege of interning in Governor 
Earl's office, working with his advisor on women's issues, Roberta 
Gassman. It was an extraordinary opportunity that inspired me to pursue 
a career in public service. In addition to his advocacy for women, Tony 
was a trailblazer in the fight for LGBT equality. He was among the 
first Governors to appoint a liaison to the LGBT community he 
established the first Governor's Council on Lesbian and Gay issues, 
which provided much needed oversight of anti-discrimination laws that 
had been recently adopted in Wisconsin. Working for Governor Earl 
taught me the importance of doing what is right, regardless of 
political popularity. Tony personifies our strong Wisconsin values of 
kindness, determination and hard work.
  I am grateful to Tony Earl for all of his contributions to the State 
of Wisconsin. I am pleased to join thousands of people across our State 
in recognizing Tony's dedication to public service and achievements 
over the past 50 years.

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