Lawton Chiles

Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as forty-first governor of Florida from 1991 until his death in office in the last month of his term. He was the first Democratic governor in state history to have a Republican-controlled legislature.

Legacy

Chiles was known as a health care and children's advocate throughout his career. He emphasized health coverage for the uninsured and led a campaign to create the National Commission for Prevention of Infant Mortality in the late 1980s. In 1994 he fought for the creation of regional health care alliances throughout the state, which allow small businesses to pool their health care dollars and broaden coverage while saving money. He also created the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.

Related Topics:
1980s - 1994

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In 1992, Chiles created the Florida Healthy Start program, to provide cut-rate prenatal and infant care to poor mothers across the state; since the program's inception the state's infant mortality rate has dropped 20%. In 1996, Chiles appointed a Governor's Commission on Education to examine the state's school system. One of the significant recommendations that came from that commission eventually led to the highly controversial 2002 state constitutional amendment restricting Florida's school class sizes.

Related Topics:
1992 - Infant mortality - 1996 - 2002 - State constitution

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