Ohio Bids Farewell to Trailblazer Jo Ann Davidson

Jo Ann Davidson, Ohio's inaugural—and only—female House speaker, was honored Thursday in Columbus, where she lay in state at the Ohio Statehouse. Davidson, who died Friday at the age of 97, became the first woman to receive the honor in Ohio's history and joined a list of only 10 individuals to lay in state there; the list includes Abraham Lincoln, and, most recently, US Sen. John Glenn in 2016. Governor Mike DeWine, Senate President Matt Huffman, and former Attorney General Betty Montgomery were among those paying tribute before her public funeral service.

Davidson's political career spanned nearly six decades, beginning in 1965 as a candidate for Reynoldsburg City Council. A key figure in state and national Republican circles, Davidson is remembered for her leadership in the Ohio House, which she was elected to in 1980. She was elected speaker in 1994 and held onto the position until 2001, when she retired because of term limits. In 2000, she founded the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute and personally trained nearly 500 Republican women for political careers. Davidson was also engaged in public policy consultation through her firm, JAD & Associates. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)