SACRAMENTO – Senator John Laird issued the following statement today on the passing of Dolores Huerta, a pioneering labor and civil rights leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers and dedicated her life to fighting for workers and their families.

“California has lost a giant today. I was fortunate to know Dolores and work alongside her over the years. She was courageous and understood that progress doesn't happen on its own.  You have to organize, stand up for what you believe in, and bring people together to make change happen. That's exactly what she did throughout her life, and she inspired countless others to do the same.

My heart goes out to her family, her friends, and the many people whose lives she touched. She made an extraordinary difference in California, and we will miss her deeply.”