WHEREAS, Senator Walter J. Kavanaugh was a leader in public life, spending the majority of his career dedicated to serving the common good, and New Jersey is a better place today because of that service; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh was a true son of New Jersey, born in Bound Brook, educated in Somerville public schools, and involved in public life in this State for four decades; and

WHEREAS, he was a graduate of his cherished alma mater, the University of Notre Dame; and

WHEREAS, he subsequently served this country as a lieutenant in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1958 as a pilot; and

WHEREAS, following his military service, he soon embarked on his lifelong mission of working for the people of the State of New Jersey, initially serving from 1963 to 1975 on the Somerville Board of Education, five of those years as president; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh was a life member of the Somerville First Aid and Rescue Squad, which he first joined in 1968 and also was a member of the Somerset County Board of Mental Health and the Somerset County Park Commission; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh was first elected to the General Assembly in 1975 and reelected ten times, holding office from 1976 to 1997; and

WHEREAS, he was elected to the State Senate in 1997 and remained in office until January 8, 2008, such 32-year career in the Legislature making him the seventh-longest serving legislator in New Jersey history; and

WHEREAS, he was a key sponsor of the legislation creating the Transportation Trust Fund, an act that has proven vital to the State of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, he also sponsored important measures reforming the State's divorce laws and creating a tax amnesty program; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh was a member of the budget committees of both houses of the Legislature and was widely regarded as an expert on budget and fiscal matters; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh also was a member of the State House Commission since 1998 and from 1990 to 1994; and

WHEREAS, while in the Legislature, the Senator held numerous leadership positions including Assistant Budget Officer, Majority Budget Officer, Deputy Speaker, Assistant Majority Leader, Assistant Minority Leader, Deputy Assistant Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Assistant Minority Whip; and

WHEREAS, the Senator, in addition to his duties as a public servant, also was appointed a board member of the Somerset Medical Center, the Somerset Council on Alcoholism, and the Board of Regents of St. Mary's College of Notre Dame and was a devoted supporter of organizations helping homeless men and women; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh always sought, in his words, to "put people first," avoided excessive partisanship, and asked, again in his words, "Can we afford to do this" as well as "Can we not afford to do this" as he worked for the people of this State; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kavanaugh was devoted to policy and politics, was well-known for his sense of humor and quick wit and was widely admired by his colleagues and loved by his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Senator Kavanaugh and extend our sincere sympathy to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate to honor the memory and the passing of Senator Kavanaugh;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Monday, January 14, 2008, in recognition and mourning of the passing of Senator Walter J. Kavanaugh.

2. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 11th day
of January, Two Thousand and Eight, and
of the Independence of the United States, the
Two Hundred and Thirty-Second.

/s/ Jon S. Corzine

Governor

[seal]

Attest:

/s/ Kenneth H. Zimmerman