Memorial for Salem's Sen. Jackie Winters is Thursday afternoon in Senate chambers

Statesman Journal

The Oregon Senate will hold a celebration of life for Salem's late Republican Sen. Jackie Winters on Thursday starting at 1 p.m.

Winters died May 29 at the age of 82 after living with lung cancer for nearly two years.

The event is open to the public, with doors opening around 12:30 p.m. Senate staff recommends that anyone hoping to attend arrive early as seating in the chamber will be extremely limited.

The Senate floor is ticketed and reserved. The upper gallery will be seated on a first come, first served basis for staff, lobbyists and the general public.

Oregon Senate:Sen. Jackie Winters, advocate for reform, cooperation, dies at 82

Senator Jackie Winters, R-Salem, in the Senate chambers as lawmakers work to close out the short legislative session on Saturday, March 3, 2018.

Five hearing rooms with televisions have been set aside as general public overflow areas, and seats will also be arranged around a television in the lobby outside the Senate chamber. One hearing room will be used for overflow staff seating.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend.

The memorial is scheduled to last between an hour and an hour and a half.

Speakers will include Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, Gov. Kate Brown, former Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli, and a dozen other sitting senators, legislative staff and family members.

Selma Pierce:Winters' Aide announces interest in Salem Senate seat after senator's death

Roses and a single light are left on the desk of Sen. Jackie Winters in the darkened Senate Chambers at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on May 29, 2019. Winters, the first African American to ever serve in the Legislature as a Republican rose to the position of Senate Republican leader, was 82.

Winters was elected to the state Senate in 2002 after previously serving the House of Representatives for two terms. She was the longest-serving African American legislator in Oregon history and the first African American to serve in the Legislature as a Republican.

Winters was a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform. She was widely respected for her years of experience and for her willingness to work toward compromise.

Contact Connor Radnovich at cradnovich@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6864, or follow him on Twitter at @CDRadnovich

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