People & politics.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Angela Monson, Tom Tedcastle, Laness Northrup - Obituary

Oklahoma Senator and former NCSL President Angela Monson is leaving the Legislature in the middle of her third Senate term because of the state law that limits legislative service. Following a challenge by her Republican opponent, the state supreme court ruled in 2002 that Monson could run for a third term even though the law restricts legislators to 12 years in office. Monson had served one year in the House and nine in the Senate before the 2003 election, which she won with 75 percent of the vote. Monson was the first woman and first African American to be assistant majority floor leader. The field to replace her is crowded. Six candidates, including Representative Mike Shelton, have filed for the seat. The election will be held Nov. 8.

Tom Tedcastle, 52, general counsel to the Florida House of Representatives and former NCSL Staff Chair in 1998-99, died August 2 in Tallahassee of brain cancer. Tedcastle was a highly respected 20-year veteran of the House, who assumed numerous leadership roles in NCSL. In addition to serving as staff chair, Tedcastle chaired NCSL's Leadership Staff Section and was staff chair of the Assembly on State Issues. Through his association with NCSL he worked with various state, national and international governments to develop and strengthen the legislative process. Only months ago, Tedcastle was honored with a Lifetime t Achievement Award by the Florida Bar's Government Lawyer's section. He was only the third recipient of the award, given previously to Janet Reno and former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth. "Tom was a great friend of NCSL and promoter of state legislatures and he will be missed," said William Pound, executive director of NCSL.

Three-term Wyoming Senator Laness Northrup died from complications of lung cancer in June. He was 72. During the last session of the Legislature, Northrup and his wife drove to Denver every afternoon for chemotherapy and radiation treatments and would return to Cheyenne to attend evening functions. Through it all Northrup, a farmer from Powell, never missed a day of work at the Legislature. Former Big Horn County Commissioner...