Hogsett: ‘We All Owe A Debt’

A large crowd gathered today at the Indiana Statehouse to pay tribute to former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh. The memorial service included remarks from Governor Eric Holcomb, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, former Governor Mitch Daniels and former Governor and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, among others. Bayh was celebrated for many accomplishments during his career, including authoring the federal Title IX law and drafting two Constitutional amendments.

Hogsett said everyone owes a debt to Bayh because his legacy is a living legacy.

"His legacy lives on through the dedication of public service that he has passed on to this noble Hoosier family, a legacy personified by his son Evan, a legacy now personified by his grandsons," said Hogsett. "And as a final matter, as the father of a young girl, I feel I just have to offer my own personal thanks and gratitude for the senator because of the living legacy that is personified in each one of our sisters, our daughters and our granddaughters."

Evan Bayh spoke about his father’s willingness to work across the aisle to accomplish his goals.

"Of course, in these hyper-partisan and hyper-ideological times, it might be easy to look at my father’s record and conclude that he was something of a relic, a man out of his time, a man from a different era," said Bayh. "It is true that although a proud Democrat, he was not a strident partisan. When I was a boy, it was not uncommon that Republican senators would come to our house and have dinner. That’s just the way it was. It didn’t matter to him. What mattered was doing what was right for the American people."

You can view the full memorial service, courtesy of our partners at WTHR-TV, below: