State senators from both sides of the aisle honored former District 40 state Sen. Vi Simpson during a Feb. 6 legislative session.
The resolution came from District 25 state Sen. Timothy Lanane. In it, he commended Simpson for being the first woman in the Indiana General Assembly to lead the caucus for the Democratic Party, establishing herself as a leading expert on the state’s budget, balancing the needs of urban, suburban, and rural communities across the state, and many other accomplishments.
“One legislator after another stood up and told stories about the impact Vi had on them. That’s both Democrat and Republican,” said Mark Stoops, who succeeded Simpson as state senator for District 40.
An article for Franklin College’s TheStateHouseFile.com quoted Earline Rogers, a state Sen. from Gary in saying, “You have big heels, but we will try to fill them.”
Another quote from state Senate President Pro Tem David Long, of Fort Wayne, said, “We are all replaceable, but some people are harder to replace than others.”
“I think the resolution showed how much the legislature, specifically the Senate, respected Vi’s integrity and depth of knowledge on just a wide range of subjects that the state has to deal with,” Stoops said.
Though he did not have the opportunity to work with Simpson as a state senator, he remembered working with her while he was a Monroe County official.
“Vi was always easy to get a hold of, easy to just give her a call and also very helpful,” Stoops said. He later added, “I hope that she stays involved (in public service). I know that’s where her heart is.”
Simpson, a 28-year veteran of the state senate, said she appreciated the thought but tried to talk them out of having the event at first. She did not succeed.
“It was very touching. I told them that I miss them some of the time, but certainly not all of the time,” Simpson commented. “It was very nice to be recognized for my years of service and by my colleagues.”
While the resolution named Simpson’s involvement with creating the Indiana Children’s Health Insurance Plan as one of her finest moments, it was harder for Simpson to name a specific accomplishment as her best memory.
“I think the most important memories for me were the times when I was able to pass legislation or accomplish something that would help my constituents,” the former state senator said. “Those kinds of experiences in my life will be the things that travel with me the most.”
The resolution notes some of those experiences as “authoring numerous pieces of legislation that encompassed the issues of women’s health programs, reproductive rights, lactation support in the workplace, protection against dating violence and sexual assault, and workplace equality.”
Simpson’s 2012 run for lieutenant governor was her last bid for political office. She said she has no intention of running again in the future as she is enjoying spending time with her family and doing the things she and her husband love, like traveling and gardening.
“It was such a rewarding opportunity for me (to be in office). I’m so grateful to the people of Senate District 40 for allowing me that privilege,” she said.
The longtime Ellettsville resident said, however, that a return to civic life, outside of politics, is not impossible.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2013. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.