SR2178 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2178 LRB100 24182 ALS 43377 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Children and families in the 57th Senate District are among the many fortunate beneficiaries of State Senator James F. Clayborne Jr.'s 23 years of service in the Illinois Senate; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne has a profound interest in helping young people seize opportunities available to them and reach their full potential through education and hard work; and

WHEREAS, Because Senator Clayborne believes ZIP codes should not determine a child's future, he supported an overhaul of the school funding formula in Illinois, a historic reform that resulted in public schools in the Metro East receiving more than $18 million in additional funding in its first two years on the books; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne has passed legislation to help schools throughout the Metro East, including a plan to ensure money was available to rebuild the Wolf Branch and Belle Valley middle schools after they were damaged by mine subsidence, to help the Lebanon School District replace an 80-year-old school building, and to fund a remodel of the East St. Louis High School; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne secured millions of dollars to improve the financial health of the East St. Louis School District, and schools he represents have been the recipients of some of the largest downstate school construction grants in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Because Senator Clayborne believes college should be within reach for all, he advanced measures to bring transparency to college expenses, expanded availability of dual-credit courses, offered college credit for military experience, and created "Promise Zones" to allow low-income students an opportunity to earn scholarships to community colleges; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne mentors local youth and has quietly organized biannual trips to minority colleges and universities for high-performing Metro East high school students who would not otherwise be able to afford to visit these schools or consider them an option for higher education; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne has been one of the few African American legislators from outside of Chicago to serve in the Illinois Senate, offering him an important platform from which to advocate for the needs of people of color and communities in the Metro East; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne is a champion of fairness and economic opportunity for people of color and has sought to hold the government accountable for hiring and contracting with businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans to ensure the government invests in the communities it serves; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne helped ensure workers from struggling communities in his district benefited from the construction of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge between Illinois and Missouri, a project that employed more than 3,800 minority workers and contracted with 117 small, minority-owned businesses; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne has supported raising the minimum wage, expanding voter access, and extending a key tax credit for developers in places in East St. Louis, all with the hope of growing communities and helping the people of his district prosper; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne, the recipient of a donated kidney, sponsored a plan to allow preservation of a deceased person's organs for 24 hours until family can be notified, and he advocated for the passage of a life-saving measure to allow teenagers to register for the organ and tissue donor registry in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, After 23 years of service to the 57th Senate District and the people of Illinois, Senator Clayborne has elected to bid farewell to the Illinois Senate; during his career, he established a reputation as a knowledgeable, pragmatic, and committed public servant; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne has served as the Senate Majority Leader, the second highest-ranking member of the Senate, since 2009; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne's public service began when he was an assistant state's attorney in the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne's family put down roots in Missouri and in the Illinois Metro East after the Civil War and instilled in him a deep respect and appreciation for teachers, education, and hard work; and

WHEREAS, Senator Clayborne's future plans include focusing on his law practice and spending more time with his wife, Amber, his four sons, his stepdaughter, and his grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator Clayborne for his dedicated service to the people of Illinois and for his significant contributions to the State, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Clayborne as an expression of our gratitude and respect.