This past week Indiana, and the entire nation, had the opportunity to say thank you and goodbye to two Hoosier heroes. Marine Corps Corporal Humberto Sanchez, of Logansport, was killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan last month. Thousands of Hoosiers lined the streets for Cpl. Sanchez’s homecoming, and many hundreds more attended or watched his funeral service. Governor Holcomb, Vice President Pence, and Senator Young spoke at the service and I think the governor said it best when he told the Sanchez family that their family “just got about 6.8 million Hoosiers bigger.” Humberto Sanchez was taken too early, but he will never be forgotten.

The other hero Hoosiers said goodbye to this week was Richard “Dick” Thelen, was a World War II veteran and a survivor of the USS Indianapolis. A frequent attendee of the USS Indianapolis reunion events here in Indy, Dick was one of the youngest crew members and played an integral role in the creation of the reunion group. Dick was 94 when he passed away; a long life lived well. It wasn’t lost on me that we said goodbye to these two heroes just days after the twentieth anniversary of September 11. Their passing is a reminder that generations of Americans have raised their hand and put themselves in harms way to keep us free. We are forever grateful.

Thanks
Kyle
 

Building One Indiana for All

Governor Holcomb presented the International Center's International Citizen of the Year Award to Dan Coats. Governor Holcomb was on Dan Coats' staff when Dan was a senator.

Governor Holcomb spoke at the funeral service for Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez. We will never forget his service and the sacrifice that he paid to keep others safe.

Photos: Gov. Holcomb introducing Dan Coats. Gov. Holcomb speaking at Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez's funeral service.

Redistricting

Earlier this week, the Indiana House of Representatives released a proposed set of new maps for the Indiana House and for Indiana's nine congressional districts. Republican leaders have proposed a set of maps that focus on population, not politics.

The proposed Congressional District map can be found here.

The proposed Indiana House map can be found here.

These maps were drawn after an open and transparent process that saw legislative leaders getting input from Hoosiers in all corners of the state. These maps are compact, rejected gerrymandering, and reflect Hoosier communities.

Below are statements from House Speaker Todd Huston, State Rep. Greg Steuerwald (author of HB 1581) and State Sen. Eric Koch (sponsor of HB 1581).
 

“These maps follow all statutory and constitutional requirements and reflect the population trends over the last 10 years. For the new House maps, Representative Steuerwald took a holistic approach and worked tremendously hard to keep communities of interest together with a focus on compactness." -House Speaker Todd Huston

"These proposed maps are the culmination of a months-long effort, which included listening to Hoosiers across the state. We pulled together all the data along with public input to draw fair maps that account for shifts in population over the years. We look forward to obtaining additional public input and fulfilling our constitutional duties in the coming weeks." -State Rep. Greg Steuerwald

"I have been pleased with the high level of collaboration between the House and Senate as we have worked to prepare our new draft congressional map. I look forward to continued conversations with members of the public and other legislators on this proposal as we move forward." -State Sen. Eric Koch 

Chairman Hupfer on WISHTV

This Sunday Chairman Hupfer will appear on All Indiana Politics. You can watch live here: https://www.wishtv.com/live-stream/

AOC's Hypocrisy at the Met Gala

This was just too rich (pun intended) to ignore. Social media celebrity, defund the police advocate, and the intellectual leader of today’s Democrat Party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), caused a bit of a kerfuffle the other day when she attended the $35,000-a-ticket Met Gala in New York City. Adorned in a white gown that said “Tax the Rich,” AOC hobnobbed with the .01% high society types, oblivious, as always, to her own hypocrisy.