Former Conn. Gov. Rell to lie in state at Capitol

When M. Jodi Rell was inaugurated as governor in July 2004, she said her first move was to heal the state after the resignation of Gov. John G. Rowland in a corruption scandal.As part of that new era in Connecticut, Rell held an unusual open house at the state Capitol in Hartford as she stood for three hours in the atrium to personally shake hands with average voters. Famously, she was standing so long that she took off her high heels and stood there in her stocking feet.Now, Rell, who died on Nov. 20 at age 78 after a short illness, will lie in state at the Capitol near the same spot where she held the open house. The public is invited to visit the Capitol next Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pay their respects.A Mass of Christian burial will be held soon after at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the nearby Cathedral of Saint Joseph on Farmington Avenue in Hartford.Longtime Republican Chris Healy, who served as Republican state party chairman during a portion of Rell's 6 1/2 years in office, said that Rell had the common touch in that she was always reaching out to the voters."Her openness, candor, generosity, and decency were her calling cards," Healy said in an interview. "She struck that tone at the beginning of her very challenging moment in history, and did it quite effortlessly. She maintained that through her entire governorship – no matter what situation arose. She was open and kind and accommodating to everyone in the process. … The tone she struck at the time and her ability to lead immediately led to a historic re-election."During the open house on July 15, 2004, nearly 1,000 well-wishers – ranging from the elderly and young families with children to state employees and politicians – greeted their new governor in an event that was later duplicated for smaller crowds in Stamford, Danbury, Bristol, Middletown, New Haven, Waterbury, and Meriden. She also restarted the "Ask the Governor" radio show where callers could directly speak to the governor about governmental issues."Having these open houses is a small but important way for me to express my deep gratitude to the people of Connecticut," Rell said at the time. "I am humbled to be a steward of the public's trust, and I look forward to greeting everyone who stops by."Rare in ConnecticutLying in state is a high honor that is relatively rare in Connecticut. Democrat Ella Grasso, the first woman elected governor in her own right in the United States, was the last governor to receive the honor in 1981.Former House Speaker Nelson Brown, a beloved figure at the Capitol who continued lobbying into his 80s on freedom of information issues, lied in state in September 2011. Hundreds of friends and mourners from all political stripes passed his casket and talked about Brown's congenial nature that allowed him in 1957 to become the youngest House Speaker in Connecticut history at age 35.Current House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford said there was a request on behalf of the Rell family, and it was approved by Ritter and Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney of New Haven – the two top leaders who oversee operations at the Capitol."It was an easy decision for me," Ritter told The Courant. "She started her career by having an open house in the Capitol, so her friends and family thought it would be fitting to lie in state and then go to the funeral after that. It's a really nice story."With no formal policy, Ritter said the honor depends on requests from family members and could extend to officials like longtime U.S. Senators and members of Congress."Certainly, Gov. Rell's request was a pretty simple one," Ritter said. "I got a call from [longtime chief of staff] Lisa Moody on Sunday. I was watching football. She asked about it, and I said, 'Of course.' It took all of 10 seconds to say, 'Of course.' "A private burial will take place at a later date at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. She will be buried alongside her husband Lou Rell, a longtime commercial airline pilot and veteran of the U.S. Navy.