Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of a legendary Arizona journalist and trailblazer, Jana Bommersbach, who passed away on July 17. When Jana started at The Arizona Republic in the 1970s, she was one of just six female reporters in the newsroom. She worked her way up from reporter to editor, first at The Republic and later at the Phoenix New Times. Because of her dogged reporting, the Arizona Press Club named her Arizona Journalist of the Year and honored her with its top investigative journalism prize, the Don Bolles Award, many times. One of those award-winning stories turned into her hit book, ``The Trunk Murderess,'' which revisited the story of Winnie Ruth Judd and a more than 60-year-old murder case. Jana earned the trust of the elderly Judd, getting her to tell her side of the story for the very first time. That was Jana, reporting on true crime before it was trendy, but also telling the story of Phoenix as a young frontier town, full of colorful and complicated characters. Her life's work brought attention to matters close to her heart, like mental health and domestic violence, and she paired vigorous journalism with selfless advocacy, giving her time to countless nonprofits. More than anything, she was a joy to be around, a quick-witted, gifted storyteller who would leave any room cracking up. She kept friends from all backgrounds and political parties, throwing jabs with a grin and a twinkle in her eye. Congress should take a lesson from her.…”