HR1538 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1538 LRB099 24146 MST 51916 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor our colleague, State Representative Mike Smiddy, for his service as a member of the Illinois General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Representative Smiddy is the proud and devoted husband of Deborah and father of two sons, Logan, and Ian; and

WHEREAS, Working alongside former United States Congressman Lane Evans, Representative Smiddy became instilled with a passion for public service, and was inspired to continue Congressman Evans' legacy of speaking up for veterans and defending the rights of middle-class families; following in the footsteps of Congressman Evans, Representative Smiddy entered public service and was elected to represent the 71st Representative District in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Prior to taking office as a member of the General Assembly, Representative Smiddy worked to keep his community safe and continued to speak up for the rights of working families as an employee of the Illinois Department of Corrections and as a member of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; and

WHEREAS, Representative Smiddy spearheaded the effort to expand insurance coverage for preventative breast cancer screenings for all women in Illinois, an issue especially personal for him following his wife's battle with breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, As the representative of a region deeply rooted in manufacturing, agriculture, and organized labor, Representative Smiddy served as a champion for middle-class families, fighting to restore back-pay owed to workers, speaking up strongly for fair wages, and introducing legislation to invest in local jobs by directing the State to purchase American-made vehicles; and

WHEREAS, Representative Smiddy fought to help the counties of the 71st Representative District receive needed support for economic revitalization projects by working to secure millions of dollars in infrastructure funding and resources for local businesses and workers; and

WHEREAS, Representative Smiddy will continue his commitment to his community through his membership in the River City Rotary Club in Port Byron; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate and honor State Representative Mike Smiddy for his years of dedicated service as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and wish him success in all future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Representative Smiddy as an expression of our respect and esteem.