SR2221 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2221 LRB100 24325 MST 43624 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Senator Kwame Raoul was told he had big shoes to fill when he was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by then-Senator Barack Obama in 2004, but he proved quickly that he was not the "next" Barack Obama but rather the first Kwame Raoul; and

WHEREAS, Over the next decade and a half, Senator Raoul became a leader in the Senate, a trusted negotiator, someone willing to work across the aisle, and a fighter who never shied away from a difficult issue; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul was a tireless champion for the people of the 13th Senate District, addressing the issues they care about most, including criminal justice reform, stopping gun violence, workers' rights, and access to affordable health care; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul is the proud son of Haitian immigrants, Dr. Janin Raoul and Marie Therese Raoul, and he is a lifelong resident of the Hyde Park/Kenwood area; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul was greatly influenced by the work of his father, a community physician who believed in health care as a human right; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul pursued a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and began his career as a prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, where he advocated for victims of crime and for child protection; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul continued his public service as a labor and employment attorney for the City Colleges of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Upon arriving in Springfield, Senator Raoul quickly gained the confidence of Senate leadership to handle difficult negotiations, from workers' compensation reform and redistricting to one of the most contentious legislative issues in recent memory, comprehensive public employee pension reform; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul's experience as a prosecutor led him to continually advocate for criminal justice reform in the Senate, passing historic legislation to abolish the death penalty, introducing innocence legislation allowing vindication for the falsely accused, and sponsoring numerous diversion and second-chance programs for ex-offenders; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul has seen firsthand the impact gun violence has on communities, having close friends who lost their children to gun violence and experiencing it on the street outside his home; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul therefore made fighting gun violence a priority during his time in the Senate, cracking down on repeat gun offenders, increasing treatment options for those impacted by the trauma of violence, and introducing legislation banning the use of bump stocks and trigger cranks; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul saw the great need to improve police-community relations and passed landmark law enforcement reform, including standards for officer-worn body cameras to increase trust and transparency; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul was commended for his work for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, passing the Sexual Assault Survivor's Bill of Rights and sponsoring a plan to shield victims of domestic violence from liability if they terminate their lease early to escape an abusive situation; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul dedicated himself to strengthening and protecting voters' rights, passing the Illinois Voting Rights Act to protect racial and language minorities and increase transparency and public participation in the redistricting process, and passing legislation to end Illinois' participation in the flawed Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul distinguished himself as a skilled negotiator by leading the Senate's 2011 workers' compensation reforms, which have saved employers hundreds of millions of dollars; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul, who would always draw inspiration from his own life when bringing issues to the Senate floor, received perhaps his greatest test yet when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul recognized that early detection and treatment were key to surviving the same disease that took the life of his father and grandfather, which only strengthened his determination to ensure everyone in Illinois has access to affordable, quality health insurance and to serve as a personal mentor to others who have been diagnosed; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul has been a member of the board of directors of International Child Care, a non-profit organization that operates Grace Children's Hospital in Port au Prince, Haiti, and has been involved in efforts to rebuild the hospital's inpatient building, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 2010; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul serves on the board of Legal Prep Charter Academies and was on the board of the Cook County Bar Association; he is a member of 100 Black Men and the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul is the proud father of two children, Che and Mizan, and recently became engaged to the wonderful and brilliant Dr. Lisa Moore; and

WHEREAS, Senator Raoul is leaving the Senate to become Attorney General of Illinois, a position in which he will no doubt remain a champion for the people of Illinois and continue his life's work pursuing equality and justice; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator Kwame Raoul for his years of service to the people of Illinois and honor him with this resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Raoul as a symbol of our gratitude and with our best wishes for all his future endeavors.