Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0617
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Full Text of HR0617  100th General Assembly

HR0617 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Billy Lawless, a native of Galway, the unofficial
3capital of western Ireland, has always been interested in
4politics, and ran as a Fine Gael candidate for the Galway City
5Council in 1991; after being defeated by the future President
6of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, he moved from Galway to Chicago
7in 1998 to continue his successful career as a hospitality
8proprietor; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Billy Lawless is now the owner of numerous dining
10places in the Chicago area; in this capacity he began his
11service in 2010 as a member of the Executive Committee of the
12Illinois Restaurant Association Board of Directors; his fourth
13place of hospitality, Chicago's Beacon Tavern, opened in May of
142016; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Continuing his interest in political action,
16Billy Lawless has become a leading voice in Illinois for
17Irish-American relations and for the well-being of Irish men
18and women living in the United States; and
 
19    WHEREAS, During the course of this advocacy, Billy Lawless
20was honored by Chicago Irish Immigrant Support in April of
212011; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In honor of his continued support for closer
2relations between Illinois and Ireland, and particularly
3between the sister cities of Chicago and the City of Galway,
4Billy Lawless was granted the status of Honorary Freeman of the
5City of Galway in December of 2014; he was awarded an honorary
6doctorate in June of 2015 by the National University of Ireland
7at Galway; and
 
8    WHEREAS, On May 11, 2016, Taoiseach Enda Kenny honored
9Billy Lawless with the unprecedented status of overseas member
10of the "Seanad Eireann", the Irish Senate in Dublin; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In his joint capacity as a successful business
12person and an advocate for the immigrant community, Billy
13Lawless has served as co-founder and chairman of the Chicago
14Celts for Immigration Reform, as vice president of the Illinois
15Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and as a founding
16board member and leader of the Illinois Business Immigration
17Coalition; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Billy Lawless and his wife, Anne Lawless, became
19United States citizens in July of 2014; and
 
20    WHEREAS, As a citizen, Billy Lawless continues to advocate
21for continued U.S. residency for many hard-working people who
22are performing essential tasks here in America; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The natives of Galway have substantial reason to
2feel the ties between Ireland and the United States; the
3western Irish city was at the epicenter of the Great Hunger of
41845-1849, an event that led to the decision of more than one
5million Irish men, women, and children to seek new lives in
6North America; many of the boats that carried these people left
7Galway's harbor, westward-bound as part of a movement of
8peoples that helped make Chicago and the United States what
9they are today; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
12recognize Billy Lawless, a citizen of the United States of
13America, for his decision to come to Illinois, make it his
14home, and employ many of his fellow Illinoisans; and be it
15further
 
16    RESOLVED, That we commend Billy Lawless for his work of
17advocacy for Irish-American relations, and for his advocacy for
18the welfare of many people who, like his Irish-American
19predecessors and like him, have come from around the world to
20make America an even greater country; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That copy of this resolution be presented to
22Billy Lawless as a symbol of our respect and esteem.