HR0282 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0282 LRB101 12066 ALS 59527 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Sherwin Swartz was born in Chicago in 1929; he was raised by a hardworking family and attended college at Roosevelt University; and

WHEREAS, In 1953, Sherwin Swartz joined the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI); after more than two decades with IVI, he became a key Chicago-area figure and mentor to Illinois political volunteers and shared his knowledge of the basic technology of day-to-day political organizing and door-to-door campaigning; and

WHEREAS, An expert on the implementation of election law, Sherwin Swartz moved from Chicago to Springfield and became a valuable member of the Illinois House Republican staff in 1978; as a worker in the Illinois General Assembly for more than a decade, he counseled staff and members on both sides of the aisle on key points of Illinois election law and politics; and

WHEREAS, Sherwin Swartz did not confine his Illinois General Assembly work to election law; he was on hand at a staff level during a crisis moment in the history of the Chicago White Sox in June 1988, when the organization was considering transferring its operations to the greater Tampa Bay area because of the age of the baseball club's old Comiskey Park; and

WHEREAS, During the final moments before midnight on June 30, 1988, Sherwin Swartz worked with members of the Illinois House to enact legislation to enable the development of a publicly-financed stadium and public arena on Chicago's South Side, the facility that is presently called Guaranteed Rate Field; this enabled the White Sox to remain in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In the years since 1988, Sherwin Swartz has transferred his allegiance from the White Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals, partly because the Cardinals play against the Chicago Cubs more often and can beat them more times; and

WHEREAS, After his retirement in December 1991, Sherwin Swartz has continued to counsel and guide Illinois House Republican members and staff; and

WHEREAS, As time passes, we in the Illinois General Assembly are increasingly aware of the importance of keeping in mind the story of World War II and the unspeakable Holocaust, and we are grateful for the chance to talk to people who saw these things happening so that we can build a legacy to try to prevent them from happening again; and

WHEREAS, Sherwin Swartz will celebrate his 90th birthday soon; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Sherwin Swartz on his long service to the Illinois General Assembly and on the occasion of his upcoming 90th birthday; and be it further

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