[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 97 (Friday, June 4, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING INDIANA SECRETARY OF STATE CONNIE LAWSON ON HER 
                               RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JACKIE WALORSKI

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 4, 2021

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate former 
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson on her recent retirement and 
to thank her for many years of dedicated service to Hoosiers.
  Throughout her years of public service, Connie has dedicated herself 
to moving Indiana forward. She was elected to the Indiana State Senate 
in 1996, and, in 2006, she became the first woman to serve as Senate 
Majority Floor Leader. In 2012, she was appointed to serve as Indiana's 
61st Secretary of State. In these roles, she worked tirelessly to 
strengthen our communities and advance opportunities for future 
generations. Connie truly made our state a better place for Hoosiers to 
live, work, and thrive.
  I am grateful to have worked with Connie on behalf of our state's 
businesses, workers, families, and voters. Her strong conservative 
values and Hoosier common sense have helped bring Indiana's businesses 
into the 21st century and ensured our elections remained free, fair, 
and secure. Her unmatched leadership, tenacity, and integrity, both in 
the Indiana Senate and as Secretary of State, have helped secure 
Indiana's status as an economic powerhouse. With a AAA credit rating, 
fiscally responsible budget, and low unemployment rate, our state is 
among the best places in the country to start and grow a business.
  Governor Eric Holcomb has dubbed Connie ``Indiana's own Iron Lady,'' 
and I couldn't agree more. She is a true patriot with a servant's 
heart, and her passion for helping her fellow Hoosiers has always been 
clear. I have no doubt her legacy will last far into the future.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Indiana's 
61st Secretary of State Connie Lawson for her lifelong commitment to 
serving our communities. On behalf of 2nd District Hoosiers, I wish her 
the best as she embarks on this next chapter in life.

                          ____________________