Martha Layne Collins, the only woman to be elected governor of Kentucky, died on Saturday. She was 88. The Democrat's most visible legacy is a sprawling Toyota auto assembly plant—arguably the biggest industrial plum of its day and the linchpin of her economic-development strategy. Collins also worked to overhaul the state's public education system, the AP reports. "When I became governor, you have lots of priorities, but when I'd sit down and think about it, education always came back as the first thing you have to start with," the former teacher said in a 1992 University of Kentucky interview. "I feel like I made an impact in education and bringing in new jobs; I hope we made the people of Kentucky feel good about themselves."
Collins served as governor from 1983 to 1987, at a time when Kentucky governors were limited to single terms. Gov. Andy Beshear's office announced her death, calling her "a remarkable woman who made an undeniable difference." Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell said in a statement that Collins "was known for breaking barriers" and that she "was a tireless advocate for all levels of education in Kentucky, and that passion carried her throughout her life." Collins was in the national political spotlight in the summer of 1984 as chairwoman of the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. She was interviewed by Walter Mondale, the party's presidential nominee, as a possible running mate, but Mondale ultimately chose Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York.
There was a cloud over Collins' administration—her husband's financial dealings—and it burst into a full-blown scandal with his indictment in July 1992. As a witness at her husband's trial, she presented an image of a governor blind to the exploitation of her office by her husband and a handful of campaign cronies who had been installed, at his insistence, in key positions. The former governor claimed she remained aloof from her husband's business and was unaware the couple's net worth increased 700% during her term. "He was doing his business, and I was running government," Collins said. Bill Collins was ultimately convicted in 1993 of extorting money from underwriters who handled state bond issues.
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At the Toyota plant's groundbreaking in 1986, Collins said Kentucky had "entered a new age where we'll be tied more closely to the global economy." Kentucky had won a bidding war against other states for the plant, which at the time cost $800 million and employed 2,500 people to assemble Camry sedans. Parts suppliers and other car makers then sprouted in the state. Her administration officially estimated the value of state incentives to the Japanese carmaker, including the state's purchase and development of the plant site, to be $125 million. But debt service on the necessary bond issues pushed the total over $300 million, critics said. And a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling was needed to declare that "giving" state land to a private company did not violate the state constitution.
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