A Democratic state senator from Kansas City is resigning her seat in the Missouri Legislature at the end of this year.
Sen. Yvonne Wilson, 81, says she's retiring to spend more time at home and believes it's time to step aside and let a younger person serve.
She submitted her resignation letter to Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday.
Wilson was first elected to the Missouri Senate in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.
Before that she served in the Missouri House after winning a special election in 1999.
She was a 1950 Lincoln University graduate, and served on the Board of Curators from 1993-99, including two years as board president from 1996-98.
Before entering the Legislature, Wilson spent 35 years as a teacher and school administrator in Kansas City.
In a statement, Nixon noted Wilson's leadership "on education, mental health and other vital issues has been tireless, and her service in the Kansas City community has made a lasting difference."