[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E850-E851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING EARLINE ROGERS UPON HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 8, 2016

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, today it is with profound respect that I 
take this time to honor one of Indiana's foremost citizens, State 
Senator Earline Rogers. A retired public school teacher, Earline has 
consistently distinguished herself as a pillar of her community, a 
voice for children, and a selfless public servant. Serving in the 
Indiana General Assembly for thirty-four years, Senator Rogers will be 
retiring this year after a truly monumental career.
   Born in Gary, Indiana, Earline Rogers was inspired at an early age 
to be a force for positive change by her father, Earl Smith Sr., and 
her mother, Robbie. Employed as a steelworker, Earl worked tirelessly 
alongside his wife to support Earline and her four siblings, Gerry, 
Bobby, Earl Jr., and Denice. Taking on two part-time jobs in addition 
to his full-time position at the steel mill, Earl was determined to see 
his children graduate high school and attend college. Earline fulfilled 
her parents' dream and graduated as senior class president with honors 
from Roosevelt High School in Gary, and went on to earn Bachelor of 
Science and Master of Science degrees in Education from Indiana 
University. Following her undergraduate studies, Earline began her 
career teaching in the Gary Community School Corporation, and soon 
became active in the American Federation of Teachers union, working to 
provide teachers with the best resources to educate their students and 
provide them with pathways to success. Senator Rogers was elected to 
the Gary Common Council in 1980, and broke barriers serving as the 
Council's first female president. In 1982, Senator Rogers was elected 
to the Indiana House of Representatives, and in 1990, she became a 
member of the Indiana Senate where she has served for the past twenty-
six years representing Indiana Senate District 3.
   In particular, Senator Rogers has most recently served as the 
Indiana Senate Minority Whip, and as the Ranking Minority Member on the 
Education and Career Development Committee as well as the Family and 
Children Services Committee. Senator Rogers had also served on the 
Appropriations, Homeland Security and Transportation, Veterans Affairs 
and the Military, and Pensions and Labor Committees, and as a member of 
the Indiana Education Roundtable.
   Since entering public service, Senator Rogers has established 
herself as one of Indiana's most accomplished and effective 
legislators, working across the aisle with her colleagues to improve 
the lives of all Hoosiers, notably to protect the safety, rights, and 
educational opportunities of our youngest citizens. In particular, 
Senator Rogers authored Jojo's Law, which mandates that all vehicles 
for ten or more passengers utilized by public schools, preschools, or 
licensed day care centers must meet the same safety standards as school 
buses. Senator Rogers also created Heather's Law, which requires the 
Indiana Department of Education to develop programs for Indiana schools 
to better educate students about dating violence. Moreover, she has led 
efforts to increase anti-bullying education statewide and safeguard our 
students from forms of harassment outside the classroom, such as cyber-
bullying. In addition, Earline Rogers was instrumental in the passage 
of legislation that raised the minimum age of the death penalty to 18 
years of age in Indiana. Finally, Senator Rogers wrote Indiana's first 
bilingual-literacy program and successfully provided funding for 
Northwest Indiana school repair and prospective teacher training. 
Earline's record as an

[[Page E851]]

advocate for our community's most vulnerable, and for preparing our 
next generation of leaders, has and will continue to leave an 
immeasurable impact on Northwest Indiana, our state, and our country.
   In addition to her achievements in the realm of children and 
education, Senator Rogers' legislative accomplishments include filing 
the first bill to legalize casino and riverboat gaming in Indiana, 
spearheading efforts to increase job growth, and most recently, gaining 
legislative approval to relocate docked riverboat casinos to adjacent 
land. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Rogers, this industry has 
generated significant economic investment throughout our state. 
Furthermore, Senator Rogers was a leader and integral to the creation 
of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, an entity that 
currently works with local, state, and federal partners to spur 
regional economic development. These projects include the enrichment of 
the Gary/Chicago International Airport, improving access to our 
historic lakeshore through the Marquette Plan, investment in the 
recapitalization and expansion of the South Shore Rail Line, and the 
development of a regional bus system. Senator Rogers has fought to 
bring economic prosperity and opportunities to all of her constituents, 
and has been a transformational figure and the epitome of a public 
servant.
   Earline is married to Chuck Rogers, a retired Gary firefighter, and 
together they have two children, Keith Sr. and Dara, as well as a 
number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Earline plans to spend 
her retirement staying active in the Gary community, including in Saint 
Timothy Community Church, where she has been a member for over fifty 
years, and looks forward to spending winters visiting her family in 
Arizona.
   I am especially proud to note that the relationship between the 
Smith/Rogers and Visclosky families spans four generations. As 
mentioned earlier in my remarks, Earline's father worked two part-time 
jobs in addition to his full-time employment. One of those part-time 
positions was working with my father in the Calumet Township Trustee's 
office in the 1940s and 1950s. There they began a friendship based on a 
profound respect for each other. To this day, my 100-year-old father, 
John, is proud that he attended Earline's high school graduation open 
house and was able to witness the beginning of her distinguished 
academic and professional career. That friendship has continued through 
my relationship with Earline and Chuck, and now spans a fourth 
generation with her grandson, Keith, who is currently serving in my 
Washington, DC, Congressional office. The Visclosky family has been 
blessed to have experienced such a long standing and strong 
relationship with individuals imbued with integrity, selflessness, and 
with whom we have had countless good laughs.
   I am proud to call Earline my friend, and I wish her the very best 
in this new chapter of her life. Earline has always served the citizens 
of Gary, Northwest Indiana, and our entire state as a passionate and 
compassionate public servant. For this she is worthy of the highest 
praise.
   Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring Indiana State Senator Earline Rogers for 
her life of public service, and for teaching generations of young 
Hoosiers to be a force for positive change, both in and out of the 
classroom. Senator Rogers' life has truly been a gift to us all.

                          ____________________