2023-08-01 18:42:34
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, one of the state’s most prominent black leaders and a passionate activist for downtown modernization and anti-gun violence, passed away on Tuesday following a sudden illness. She was 71 years old.
The family statement, issued by the office of Gov. Phil Murphy, did not name a cause of death. Oliver was serving as acting governor while Murphy and her family were vacationing in Italy. Her dispatch indicated that she was hospitalized on Monday.
Murphy said he and his family were saddened to receive the news. Appointing Oliver as lieutenant governor “was the best decision I ever made in my life,” he said.
Elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 along with Murphy, Oliver was a well-known figure in state government. She went down in history in 2010 as the first black woman to lead the state Assembly.
In contrast to his predecessor, who rarely appeared in public alongside Gov. Chris Christie, Oliver often appeared at Murphy’s side and signed several bills while serving as acting governor.
She was a charismatic speaker and often attended law signing ceremonies and other events along with Murphy, who often introduced her with lavish praise.
In 2021, enacting a series of gun restrictions along with Murphy, Oliver’s voice cracked as he lamented the gun violence that disproportionately affected New Jersey cities.
“We are fed up with funerals and memorial ceremonies,” Oliver said. “When I was growing up in Newark, I might go anywhere in the city, either alone or with my friends. The youth of today cannot do the same”.
In 2021, he signed legislation that created a pilot program in four cities across the state to reform the youth system and reintegrate youth into the community. Another measure he signed in 2021 revived a fund to create “urban entrepreneurship zones” to boost economic development in cities through lower taxes.
In addition to serving as Murphy’s lieutenant governor, serving as governor when he was out of state, she oversaw the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state assistance to towns and cities and enforces code compliance.
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