Rep. Earl Harris Dies After Extended Illness

INDIANAPOLIS – Democratic Rep. Earl Harris of East Chicago, who served in the Indiana House more than three decades, died on Monday after missing much of the 2015 session with an illness.

He was 73.

House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said Harris was a “respected colleague and friend.”

“Earl Harris was a gentleman and a respected veteran legislator that was well liked by all of his colleagues. He will be sorely missed,” Bosma said.

Former Speaker Pat Bauer, a Democrat who served with Harris throughout his legislative career, said he “was one of those unsung people who did not pursue acclaim, but preferred to do his work behind the scenes, always with the idea of what he could do to make things better.”

Harris was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1982 and served on the Interstate and International Cooperation Committee where he was the ranking Democrat. He also served on the Rules and Legislative Procedures and the House Ethics committees.

House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, called Harris “one of the finest and most visionary lawmakers I ever knew.”

“He was a tireless advocate for the future of Northwest Indiana, and a first-rate thinker in all matters,” Pelath said. “Most of all, he was a true gentleman who was beloved without exception.”

Harris, a former assets administrator for the East Chicago Schools district, had been seated in the front row of the Indiana House for years.

He is credited with legislation that led to the development of the state’s casino industry and the Lake Michigan shoreline redevelopment.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody said Harris was “a friend to anyone who knew him.”

“He was a dedicated and longtime public servant,” he said. “And Indiana is better for having had him with us.”

Harris attended Indiana University, Purdue University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is survived by his wife, Donna, and son, Earl, Jr.

Alec Gray is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.