“His legacy will improve the health of thousands of children and their mothers,” Nixon said. Turning to address Ellinger directly, he added: “Missouri is a better and more prosperous state, and our families are healthier, Rory, because of your work.”

Ellinger, 72, a lawyer, is serving his second two-year term in the House for the 86th District. He has been known as Missouri’s most liberal lawmaker, and his bills have frequently languished in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

In an unusual move on Monday, the state Senate held a public hearing on Ellinger’s breastfeeding bill and then unanimously passed it on the same day, a process that generally takes months. The fast-tracking was done in light of Ellinger’s diagnosis.

“From my side of the aisle you’ve always been a gentleman of great candor and class, and have been a formidable spokesman for the issues we know you believe in and believe in deeply,” House Majority Leader John Diehl, R-Town and Country, told Ellinger as the audience listened.

Ellinger didn’t speak at the event. His wife, Linda Locke, thanked the Legislature for putting “the needs of mothers and babies at the center of their decision-making.”

The bill is HB1320. It goes into effect Aug. 28.

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