State Rep. Steve McMillan (R-Bay Minette), dean of the Alabama House of Representatives, passed away Thursday from brain cancer at the age of 80.
The Baldwin County lawmaker announced his cancer diagnosis earlier this year and was set to vacate the House District 95 seat at the end of his term.
McMillan, owner of real estate firm McMillan and Associates, served in the legislature’s lower chamber for more than four decades.
House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) released a statement Thursday evening reacting to the passing of the long-serving legislator.
“Throughout his 42 years in the Alabama House of Representatives, Rep. Steve McMillan worked tirelessly to serve the needs of his Baldwin County constituents and make Alabama an even better place to live, work, worship, and raise a family,” said Ledbetter. “His integrity and demeanor earned him the trust of House members on both sides of the aisle, and he worked effectively with Republicans and Democrats alike. Every House Speaker under whom he served respected his opinion and was influenced by his counsel. When Rep. McMillan spoke, his colleagues listened.”
He continued, “Steve McMillan’s legacy will live on in the scores of legislators he mentored and advised, the important measures he sponsored and passed, and the Lodge at Gulf State Park that he worked so hard for so many years to make a reality.”
“His was a life well-lived. The members of the Alabama House Republican Caucus join me in lifting up the McMillan family in this time of need and asking God to give them strength and consolation in the days ahead,” concluded Ledbetter.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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