Indiana leaders remember former state Sen. Earline Rogers

Hoosier lawmakers and other leaders this week praised the career of former state senator and educator Earline Rogers, who died Thursday at the age of 89.

Rogers, a Democrat, spent more than three decades in the Indiana General Assembly. She was elected to the Indiana Senate in 1990, where she served for 26 years representing a district mostly comprising the city of Gary. Before that, she served eight years in the House of Representatives.

“Earline Rogers was, simply put, one of the finest public servants I’ve ever had the privilege to know,” said former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels in a statement released after Rogers’ death. “A committed leader of her party, she was nonetheless always willing to listen and work across party lines when the interests of her district or all of Indiana were at stake. She was one of only two Senate Democrats to vote for the Major Moves bill that leased the Indiana Toll Road and produced the nation’s #1 rated transportation infrastructure Indiana has been home to for the last decade.”

“Earline loved the extra strong coffee I asked our office to brew, and stopped in almost every day for a cup or two,” Daniels continued. “I will always treasure the memory of our friendship and the changes she helped us bring to the state we both loved so much.”

She was known for being feisty and telling it like it is from the Senate microphone. Rogers was additionally a teacher in the Gary public school system for 38 years, and much of her legislative work centered on education.

During her tenure at the Statehouse, Rogers notably authored Heather’s Law, which develops models for schools to educate their students on dating violence. She also carried school bus safety legislation — known as Jo Jo’s law — to provide safe transport to students. And she wrote the state’s first bi-literacy program and strengthened provisions to ensure prospective teachers receive adequate training.

“Earline was a dear friend and colleague. She was known for being tenacious, or at times a bulldog because she was so determined to be successful and champion the causes she cared about,” Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, said in a statement following Rogers’ death. “She had a special relationship with legislators from both sides. I replaced her when she went from the House to the Senate in the special election, so I had a couple of decades to work with her.”

Smith noted, too, that Rogers championed other major issues like casino gambling, recalling that “people even referred to her as the ‘Mother of Gambling.’”

Her efforts ultimately moved Hoosier riverboat casinos inland, opening harbor space, encouraging interstate competition and generating additional jobs in the area.

Separately, Rogers gained global attention with legislation to raise the age for execution in the state, as well.

“She also championed the Gary Community School Corporation issues and tried to resolve its monetary problems,” Smith added. “Earline’s and my families are somewhat connected because my sister-in-law is Earline’s cousin. I’ve always had a good relationship with that family: her husband; her sister, who was an educator; and her children. She will be sorely missed.”

She was the first African American to serve as vice chair of the Indiana State Democratic Party and the first African American to serve as Assistant Minority Leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

A Gary native, Rogers was married to her husband for 65 years. They had two children, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

“Earline was a force to be reckoned with,” Indiana Black Legislative Caucus Chair Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, said. “She fought for the betterment of our state’s education with a passion that is not easily replicated. I want to extend my condolences to Earline’s family during this difficult time. We will miss her conviction and determination.”

Sen. Lonnie M. Randolph, D-East Chicago, called Rogers “a trailblazer in every sense of the word.”

“Her dedication to improving education and advocating for the people of Gary, and all Hoosiers, was unmatched. Whether she was fighting for better opportunities for students or leading efforts on major legislation, she always put the needs of others first,” Randolph said in a statement. “Her work to bring casino gaming to Indiana not only revitalized Gary’s economy but also provided immense economic benefits to the state. Her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched, and she will be remembered as a true public servant. Indiana has lost one of its finest leaders.”