SR0049LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, State Senator J. Bradley Burzynski has
3represented the citizens of the State of Illinois and the
4families of the 35th Legislative District since 1993; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has also represented the
6citizens of the State of Illinois by serving in the Illinois
7House of Representatives for the 76th House District from 1990
8to 1993; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski served the residents of Boone,
10DeKalb, LaSalle, Ogle, and Winnebago Counties by bringing to
11the General Assembly their concerns for fiscal responsibility,
12conservation of wildlife, public safety, renewable energy,
13agriculture, and growing business in the State; and
 
14    WHEREAS, During Senator Burzynski's two decades of service
15in the Illinois General Assembly, he has served as a powerful
16voice for the State's education system, from primary school to
17higher education; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has recently served as the
19Republican Spokesperson on the Higher Education Committee and
20served on the Education Committee; and
 

 

 

SR0049- 2 -LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski sponsored legislation to allow
2students to receive their bachelor's degrees by completing
3their education at a community college, making it possible for
4more Illinoisans to achieve their higher education goals; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski continued to work to improve the
6Illinois education system at all levels as a governor-appointed
7member of the P-20 Council, where he sought to find ways to
8provide students of all ages a robust and comprehensive
9education; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski created the Alternative
11Opportunities Learning Program in the Illinois School Code to
12provide an educational program that provides at-risk students
13an increased ability to succeed in their studies; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski worked to allow students to
15voluntarily practice and engage in student-initiated prayer
16and religious exercises in public schools; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski sponsored legislation to
18modernize the State's schools by allowing school districts to
19utilize electronic filing in reports to the Illinois State
20Board of Education and receive funds through electronic
21transfers; and
 

 

 

SR0049- 3 -LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski helped in co-sponsoring
2legislation to give the State's public universities their own
3governing systems, and he sponsored legislation to allow public
4universities to keep the tuition they collected directly; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has been a constant advocate for
6increasing public safety in schools; acting as a lead sponsor
7on legislation to curb the practice of bullying in schools, to
8provide greater gang resistance education, and to allow a
9teacher's institute to include training in First Aid; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has represented Illinois while
11serving as a Commissioner with the Midwest Higher Education
12Compact since 1993, where he worked to help find ways to reduce
13costs, improve student access, and discover new policies in
14higher education; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski sponsored the Advanced Practice
16Nursing Act, which helped underserved areas of the State to
17receive additional medical and health care resources; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski acted as a voice for fiscal
19responsibility by sponsoring legislation to require the
20Governor's Office of Management and Budget to outline the
21long-term economic and fiscal policy objectives of the State
22and the State's financial condition and to make that

 

 

SR0049- 4 -LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1information available to the public; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has supported the use of
3renewable energy in Illinois through his successful
4sponsorship of the Promote Illinois Ethanol and Biodiesel Act
5to increase public awareness and provide information about E-85
6and biodiesel fuels; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has been a consistent advocate
8of outdoor sports and conservation in Illinois and has worked
9to expand the number of apprentice hunters in Illinois so
10future generations can experience the richness of the State's
11wildlife; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski served on the Illinois
13Leadership Council on Agricultural Education where he worked to
14expand agricultural programs at all education levels; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has served on the Joint
16Committee on Administrative Rules since 1995, where he is the
17longest-serving member of that bi-partisan committee; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has also served on the Insurance
19Committee, the Local Government Committee, and the Executive
20Committee, and in the past he has chaired the Executive
21Committee and the Licensed Activities Committee; and
 

 

 

SR0049- 5 -LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has served as the Assistant
2Senate Republican Leader since January 2007, and he previously
3served as the Senate Republican Caucus Chairman from 2003 to
42007; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski served as the DeKalb County
6Republican Chairman from 1993 to 1994; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski holds a Bachelor of Arts degree
8from Illinois Wesleyan University and an Associate degree from
9Rend Lake Community College; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski taught band and choir to
11students from 5th to 8th grade at Pinckneyville Middle School
12for two years; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski worked as the Farm Bureau
14Manager of Clark and Clinton counties; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski served as the Governmental
16Affairs Director of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau for 11 years;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has been recognized for his work
19in the General Assembly by more than 70 statewide and local

 

 

SR0049- 6 -LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1organizations throughout his career of public service; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has been recognized by the
3Illinois Chamber of Commerce for his continued commitment to
4support the growth of businesses throughout the State and was
5awarded the honor of "Champion of Free Enterprise" by the
6Chamber for his distinguished voting record; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has been recognized by the
8Illinois Civil Justice League for his dedication to reforming
9the State's civil justice system and was awarded the honor of
10"Friend of Fairness" by the League for his distinguished voting
11record; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski has been named "Legislator of
13the Year" by multiple organizations throughout the State for
14his work in the General Assembly, including the Illinois
15Nurses' Association, the Illinois Manufactured Homes
16Association, the Illinois Optometry Association, the Illinois
17Academy of Physicians Assistants, and the Illinois Public
18Transportation Association; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski is a member of the Maywood
20Evangelical Free Church; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Senator Burzynski and his wife, Judy, will spend

 

 

SR0049- 7 -LRB097 10315 KXB 50549 r

1time with their son, Benjamin, daughter-in-law, Abbie, and
2their children, Ethan, Hannah and Zoe; and with his daughter,
3Beth, son-in-law, Kristian, and their children, Kylie and
4Bailey; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator
7Burzynski for his dedicated service to the people of Illinois
8and honor him with this resolution; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to Senator Burzynski with our best wishes for his
11future endeavors.