Floor SpeechBipartisan2026-09-14

HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE KAREN CLARK

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Context

On 2026-09-14, Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE KAREN CLARK" in the House.

Full Text

HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE KAREN CLARK

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E902] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE KAREN CLARK ______ HON. ILHAN OMAR of minnesota in the house of representatives Monday, September 14, 2026 Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible life and legacy of Minnesota Representative Karen Clark. Ms. Clark was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1980, serving 19 consecutive terms until her retirement in 2018. In addition to her 38 years of public service in the House, Ms. Clark also served the Minnesota community as a nurse and an educator. She later co-founded the Women's Environmental Institute with her wife of 35 years, Jacquelyn Zita, which is an organization dedicated to fighting for environmental justice through education, advocacy, research, and more. Karen Clark was the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate to run for and win a seat in the Minnesota legislature, and she was the longest serving openly lesbian member to serve in a State legislature in the United States. She chaired numerous subcommittees regarding economic justice and development, empowering the constituents she represented in the lowest income district in the state. Ms. Clark also served on Governor Rudy Perpich's Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Minnesotans in 1990, later playing a crucial role in passing an amendment to the Minnesota Human Rights Act that protected LGBTQ+ Minnesotans from discrimination in housing, employment, and education, cementing Minnesota as the first state in the Nation to include protections based on gender identity. Two decades later, Clark led the bipartisan effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota, a landmark accomplishment for LGBTQ+ rights in the state. In that same year, former President Barack Obama honored Clark as a Harvey Milk Champion of Change. Karen Clark was also known for her steadfast dedication to championing environmental justice and socioeconomic justice, especially for lower income residents, Indigenous Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. Even after her retirement from public office, she was regularly spearheading fights for progress at the Capitol and in her community. Karen Clark was an advocate for all Minnesotans, and she was deeply beloved by all who knew her. To say that Clark was a trailblazer is an understatement--Minnesota would not be the state it is today without her tremendous service. I proudly represent the same Minneapolis neighborhoods she served, and I am honored to carry on the legacy she built to uplift these communities. Her impact will be celebrated for generations to come, as her passing serves as a reminder to us all that every one of us can change the world by caring for our community. Please join me in honoring Karen Clark and her monumental legacy. ____________________

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HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE KAREN CLARK Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E902] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE KAREN CLARK ______ HON. ILHAN OMAR of minnesota in the house of representatives Monday, September 14, 2026 Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible life and legacy of Minnesota Representative Karen Clark. Ms. Clark was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1980, serving 19 consecutive terms until her retirement in 2018. In addition to her 38 years of public service in the House, Ms. Clark also served the Minnesota community as a nurse and an educator. She later co-founded the Women's Environmental Institute with her wife of 35 years, Jacquelyn Zita, which is an organization dedicated to fighting for environmental justice through education, advocacy, research, and more. Karen Clark was the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate to run for and win a seat in the Minnesota legislature, and she was the longest serving openly lesbian member to serve in a State legislature in the United States. She chaired numerous subcommittees regarding economic justice and development, empowering the constituents she represented in the lowest income district in the state. Ms. Clark also served on Governor Rudy Perpich's Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Minnesotans in 1990, later playing a crucial role in passing an amendment to the Minnesota Human Rights Act that protected LGBTQ+ Minnesotans from discrimination in housing, employment, and education, cementing Minnesota as the first state in the Nation to include protections based on gender identity. Two decades later, Clark led the bipartisan effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota, a landmark accomplishment for LGBTQ+ rights in the state. In that same year, former President Barack Obama honored Clark as a Harvey Milk Champion of Change. Karen Clark was also known for her steadfast dedication to championing environmental justice and socioeconomic justice, especially for lower income residents, Indigenous Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. Even after her retirement from public office, she was regularly spearheading fights for progress at the Capitol and in her community. Karen Clark was an advocate for all Minnesotans, and she was deeply beloved by all who knew her. To say that Clark was a trailblazer is an understatement--Minnesota would not be the state it is today without her tremendous service. I proudly represent the same Minneapolis neighborhoods she served, and I am honored to carry on the legacy she built to uplift these communities. Her impact will be celebrated for generations to come, as her passing serves as a reminder to us all that every one of us can change the world by caring for our community. Please join me in honoring Karen Clark and her monumental legacy. ____________________