SR1603 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1603 LRB101 23421 MST 74674 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Senator Dale Righter has represented the citizens of the 55th Senate District, including parts of Clay, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White counties, with distinction for 18 years; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has had an extraordinary and remarkable career, leaving a lasting legacy in the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has served with honor in the Illinois Senate since 2003; and

WHEREAS, Before joining the ranks of Senate Republican lawmakers, Senator Righter first demonstrated his dedication to public service by serving in the Illinois House of Representatives beginning in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Prior to being elected to the General Assembly, Senator Righter started his career as an associate attorney at Reed, Armstrong, Coffey, Goldbert & Mudge P.C. from 1991 to 1992; he then served as a felony narcotics prosecutor with the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Office; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter ended his career in the Senate serving the Senate Republican Caucus as the Caucus Chair, having previously served as Deputy Leader; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter served as the Minority Spokesman for the Senate Appropriations I Committee starting in 2016 and was the Minority Spokesman for the Senate Executive Committee; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter also served on a number of Senate Committees, such as Appropriations II, Executive Appointments, Human Services, and Insurance; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has been a member of the Medicaid Work Group and also a member of the Department of Child and Family Services Work Group; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has developed a reputation for being a powerful and eloquent speaker, serving as the Caucus Floor Leader and acting as the Chief Spokesperson on legislative issues; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter was never afraid to tackle the hard issues; and

WHEREAS, During his time in the Illinois General Assembly, Senator Righter has worked tirelessly for the taxpayers and businesses of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has been a vocal advocate for fiscal responsibility and has dedicated his time in public service to fighting for responsible spending policies; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter was a key player on behalf of the Senate Republican Caucus in past budget negotiations, serving as a lead budgeteer; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has been recognized over the years as a champion of free enterprise for his contributions and dedication to encouraging economic opportunities and development in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter sponsored legislation that sought to reduce criminal recidivism; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter sought to curb violence and promote public safety in Illinois communities by honorably serving on the Legislative Public Safety Group; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter stood up for taxpayers of Illinois by seeking protections for the middle class; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter supported bipartisan education funding reform legislation, pushing for more education funding to be directed toward schools in the 55th Senate District and increasing opportunities for students downstate; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has been an outspoken pro-life advocate, opposing legislation to expand taxpayer funded abortions; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter sponsored legislation expanding newborn medical screenings for families in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has earned the admiration of his colleagues for his willingness to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and engage in thoughtful debate and discussion on controversial legislation and issues; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in Accounting and earned his law degree from the St. Louis University School of Law in 1991; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has been actively involved in his church community, including mission trips to Cuba; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has coached cross country and track on a volunteer basis for the past decade; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter is a proud and dedicated Cheesehead, unapologetically declaring himself a diehard Green Bay Packers fan; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter is also known for his good sense of humor and his frequent snack attacks from his office balcony; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter is the proud father of two sons, Jonathan, who is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, an Army Ranger, and a Lieutenant in the United States Army, and Benjamin, who is shortly reporting to Officer Candidate School for the United States Navy before heading to flight training; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter is also a proud new grandfather to his beautiful granddaughter, Margaret Marie; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter is the proud dog-dad of his rescue canine, Bart; and

WHEREAS, With his retirement from the Senate, Senator Righter leaves to begin a new chapter as the Chief of Staff for the Senate Republican Caucus; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has time-and-time again earned the respect of colleagues and staff; and

WHEREAS, Senator Righter has been an unwavering example of what it means to be a good leader, loyal friend, and dedicated public servant; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator Dale Righter for his many years of dedicated 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 Righter with our best wishes for his future endeavors.