Gov. Holcomb orders flags at half-staff for Hurley Goodall
Goodall, a Muncie firefighter, served seven terms in the Indiana General Assembly in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Author: WTHR.com staff Updated: 9:38 AM EDT May 21, 2021
MUNCIE, Ind. Governor Eric J. Holcomb has directed flags in Delaware County to be flown at half-staff Sunday in honor of former Indiana State Representative Hurley Goodall.
The lifetime Muncie resident, who made his mark as an Indiana lawmaker and as one of Muncie s first paid Black firefighters, died last week at 93.
Goodall served seven terms in the General Assembly in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
Hurley C. Goodall, Former State Representative and Civil Rights Advocate, Dies at 93
(Photo credit: Twitter)
Hurley C. Goodall, the first African American to be elected to Muncie, IN’s school board in 1970 who later served a seven-term stint in the Indiana general assembly, died May 12. According to an obituary published in
The Star Press, he was 93.
“Among his proudest achievements in the legislature was his involvement in establishing the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, a group that enabled Black legislators to become major players at the Statehouse and to chair important committees that have real power in the legislative process,” the obituary also said.
Indiana Civil Rights Icon, Former State Rep. Hurley Goodall, Dies At 93
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Article origination IPBS-RJC
Hurley Goodall was one of the first two African American firefighters in Muncie and became the first Black person elected to the Muncie Community Schools Board of Education.
Courtesy of Ball State University Libraries
Former Indiana state legislator and civil rights trailblazer Hurley Goodall died recently at his Muncie home at age 93.
Lawmakers hailed the legacy of the man who helped found the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus.
Breaking barriers was a regular part of Hurley Goodall’s life. He was one of the first two African American firefighters in Muncie. He became the first Black person elected to the Muncie Community Schools Board of Education.
Last week I spent about an hour in the law office of state Rep. Greg Steuerwald, a Republican who wanted to talk about something âunbelievable.â It was HEA 1006, a sprawling police reform bill that passed and was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb without a single dissenting vote.
The next day, I met with U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz at a Carmel coffee shop, asking this freshman Republican what her first impressions of Congress were. âI didnât have very high expectations from Congress as most American people donât,â Spartz said. âThe reason I am saying that was I thought it was going to be like a high school. I was recently talking to a colleague and I said, ââItâs more like middle school.ââ
Spin zone: Bill gets usual partisan twist
NIKI KELLY | The Journal Gazette
Everyone in the legislature agreed on House Bill 1006. But how you describe the new law is an interesting proposition.
The legislation received unanimous support and was in response to state and national protests last year over police brutality against minority communities. It was spurred specifically by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, for which a police officer is now behind bars.
But Republicans are using masterful spin – “Historic New Law Supports Public Safety Officers,” a headline on a legislative mailer says.
The other side says “Supporting Law Enforcement” in bold with a picture of two police officers and notes the law boosts investment in public safety.