Porter honors late State Rep. Bill Crawford with ceremony outside of Ways and Means Committee

Today, members of the Indiana General Assembly honored the late State Rep. Bill Crawford, who served in the state legislature for 40 years, including a stint as the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Crawford died in 2015 at the age of 79.

Members of the General Assembly unveiled a photograph of Crawford inside of the House Ways and Means committee room on the fourth floor of the Indiana Statehouse. The ceremony was organized in part by State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis), who worked closely with Crawford in the legislature for 20 years.

“Bill was an incredible man and a dedicated public servant,” Porter said. “When I joined the House of Representatives in 1992, Rep. Crawford became my mentor. Not only was he an incredible man, he was a renowned leader for the Black community in Indiana and was a constant voice for those who are too often ignored by those in power.

“As the Ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, I often pull from the many lessons I learned from Rep. Crawford. As lawmakers, we are duty-bound to make life better for our constituents, and Crawford's lasting legacy is his dedication to service and advocating for Hoosiers across the state. I'd like to thank House Ways and Means Chairman Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) for our working relationship to make this celebration of Rep. Crawford a reality. It was an honor to be able to celebrate his life and legacy today, and I hope his picture outside of the Ways and Means committee room serves as a reminder to every lawmaker about what we were brought to the Statehouse to do.”