George,

I would like to share my thoughts with you and your readers about Senator Joseph Gartlan, who just passed away after a brief illness. I first had the opportunity to meet Senator Gartlan early during the 1973 Virginia General Assembly session. I had the pleasure of bringing to him the recommendations of a legislatively created study committee on the topic of child support enforcement. I staffed the study committee and worked with its members in drafting legislation based upon a law in Washington state that had broken new ground in giving new authority to the state in obtaining child support from absent responsible parents. Senator Gartlan did not know me but I had been asked to bring the legislation to him based upon his interest in the issue. He immediately impressed me with his interest, his knowledge and his commitment to helping those who are less fortunate in Virginia. He then took a 150 page bill with tremendous complexity and detail and succeeding in getting it passed by the legislature, I believe, without a dissenting vote.

I continued to work with Senator Gartlan many times over the years, especially in my capacity as the Legislative Liaison for the Virginia Department of Welfare, later to become the Virginia Department of Social Services. Upon the Senator’s death, the media paid close attention to the Senator’s legislative accomplishments in the areas of mental health and the environment, but I want to share with your readers the Senator’s outstanding commitment to low-income Virginians. For twenty-eight years in the Virginia Senate, he took on the tough issues important to those who traditionally have had far too little voice in our political system. He worked tirelessly to protect children, to provide training and jobs to those in need, to improve benefits to families, to address health care needs and so much more. Senator Gartlan never shied away from difficult challenges in which he believed action was needed. He always gave voice for those in need. He cared deeply for all Virginians. His legislative career was a testament to the heart of a kind and generous man whose intellect and legislative skill provided him with the opportunity to achieve greatness through his leadership and accomplishments. He was respected by everyone who ever had any dealings with him.

During my career as a lobbyist at the legislature, I spent two eight year periods advocating on behalf of Planned Parenthood, working to protect the reproductive rights of Virginia citizens. When I first took on these responsibilities in 1982, it represented a significant change in my relationship with Senator Gartlan. This was due to his consistent positions in opposition to reproductive freedom, positions that were based upon his Catholic upbringing. Senator Gartlan and I decided we would have agree to disagree on these issues, a situation that was a great disappointment for me but one that I understood. We consistently found ourselves on opposite sides of these issues, as he verbalized his position at almost every opportunity.

I will never forget one particular situation in which a bill attempting to restrict reproductive rights reached the Senate floor. I had the opportunity to speak to the Senator about the bill before it was going to be debated on the floor and I was pleasantly surprised when he informed me that he didn’t plan to speak on the bill. I believe he had other issues he needed to focus on during that day’s floor session and didn’t want this bill to interfere with his other efforts. I was pleased that this was the case given his outstanding oratorical skills; however, I was not terribly surprised that, when the bill came up during the floor session, Senator Gartlan proceeded to give a passionate speech reflecting his support for the bill. While I was somewhat disappointed, I understood why he had a need to speak that could not be suppressed, for he cared too deeply to keep silent. My respect for him only increased, even as we worked on opposite sides.

Senator Gartlan also had a terrific sense of humor. He had a genuine smile that could light up a room. After one particularly close reelection campaign when he returned to the General Assembly with a narrow victory, he enjoyed referring to his landslide victory.

When Senator Gartlan announced his retirement from the Senate in 2000, he did so just prior to the end of that year’s session. At such times, it is traditional for members of the legislative body to make speeches that share their personal memories about the retiring members. Such times are always moving and sometimes emotional. Let me share with you that when Senator Gartlan announced his retirement, the members of the Virginia Senate responded with a series of speeches the likes of which may never be seen again. Senator after Senator stood to pay tribute to him and his leadership on behalf of the state he obviously loved deeply. In my almost thirty years of work with the General Assembly of Virginia I have never seen anything like it. The emotion of the day affected everyone who participated in paying tribute to him as well as those like myself who had the good fortune to listen to the moving speeches. Tears flowed that day among many of us. I will never forget the love, admiration and respect conveyed on the floor of the Virginia Senate that day.

You will note that I always refer to him as Senator Gartlan. I always did that no matter how closely we worked together. I had too much respect and admiration for him to ever refer to him by his first name.

George, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts with your readers about this truly great Virginian who will be missed but never forgotten.

Ben Greenberg (Electronic mail, July 22, 2008)