[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 109 (Friday, June 12, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2956-S2957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING TOM JOHNSON

 Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I rise to honor and pay 
tribute to my friend, neighbor, and mentor Tom Johnson, who passed away 
on June 8, 2020, after a 6-year fight with cancer.
  Tom served as the Hennepin County attorney for 12 years, and after I 
took over as county attorney years later, I would often turn to him for 
advice. Tom was always willing to help and to offer his wisdom, humor, 
and always patient kindness.
  It is only fitting that Tom was working up until his final days as to 
how to improve the lives of others by proposing ideas on criminal 
justice reform. In fact, just 1 week before he

[[Page S2957]]

died, Tom attended a virtual board meeting of the Minnesota Justice 
Research Center, which he founded and which was dedicated to pursuing 
fair treatment for those in the criminal justice system.
  Tom was a groundbreaking leader on criminal justice reform for 
decades and a fierce advocate for ending the racial disparities that 
have plagued our judicial system. Last Christmas, Tom wrote his own 
obituary, in which he said that nothing had given him more satisfaction 
than ``calling attention to the unacceptable racial disparities in the 
justice system and their cost to society.''
  His voice and wisdom on these issues will be deeply missed in this 
moment as we try to end systemic racism in our country with systemic 
change.
  Put simply, Tom always did good, from his critical work on domestic 
abuse, to his focus on race and justice, to his principled stand 
against the death penalty. He simply loved public service.
  Tom was elected to the Minneapolis City Council at just 28 years old, 
and he once wrote that he used to wander around city hall thinking ``If 
the public only knew how little I know.'' But despite, or perhaps, 
because of his humility, Tom got things done.
  Tom fought for truth-in-housing inspections and campaign finance 
disclosures and for a prohibition of discrimination based on sexual 
orientation. He founded CornerHouse, an advocacy center for child 
victims of sexual abuse.
  Tom was a tireless advocate and champion for all Minnesotans, but 
none gave him more joy than his beloved family, including his wife 
Victoria and his children Jill, Ben, Hunter, and Kayla. He was so proud 
of all they had achieved--and rightfully so.
  When reflecting on his legacy to the Star Tribune in 2015, Tom 
suggested that many of today's problems could be solved if people just 
worked harder at getting to know people from different races and 
cultures. As he told the paper, things like ``socializing after work. 
Asking how things are going and really listening to the answer. Helping 
a young person make the connections that lead to a first job,'' were 
the keys.
  We would all be wise to honor Tom's legacy by heeding that 
advice.

                          ____________________