SR1612 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1612 LRB101 23478 ECR 74872 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant has served the citizens of the 49th State Senate District since 2013; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a lifelong resident of Will County and is the owner and operator of a family business in Joliet; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a proud graduate of the University of St. Francis, where she received a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a secondary teaching certificate in History and Social Sciences; she earned a doctorate in education with a Superintendent's Endorsement from Loyola University; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant was a dedicated public servant even before she was first elected to the Senate; she worked as a teacher and administrator in both public and private schools in Will County; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant has worked diligently to ensure the children of Will County were given the opportunity to be successful in their classrooms; she served as Will County Regional Superintendent of Schools and then advocated for students as the Chair of the Senate's Education Committee, where she worked to make sure educators and students had the tools to succeed; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a steadfast advocate for all people; she has fought for affordable health care, increasing government transparency, and increasing access to equitable educational opportunities for students of all ages; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant helped fight opioid abuse by passing bipartisan legislation to require the Illinois Department of Public Health to annually report to the General Assembly on data collected concerning opioid overdose-related deaths; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant fought to improve infrastructure by committing to make the I-80 corridor from New Lenox and Joliet to Shorewood and Minooka more safe through construction projects; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant worked to increase public safety by successfully passing a universal 911 measure, which requires businesses to eliminate having to dial "9" or any other number to reach an outside line; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant advocated for our veterans by championing the Illinois veterans' business loan program to allow the Illinois Finance Authority to offer an increased number of low-interest loans to veterans to create new businesses; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant has worked to ensure seniors have the resources to live vibrant lives; she passed a Silver Alert measure so adults who are disoriented and wander due to Alzheimer's or dementia could be located; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a steadfast advocate for ensuring students have the financial aid they need to go to college as evidenced by her support of the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant championed measures to protect workers across Will County, including raising the minimum wage, fighting to ensure equal pay for equal work, and pushing for tax incentives for employers to encourage the creation and expansion of apprenticeship programs; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant supported legislation that would defer tax sales, give counties the ability to extend homestead exemptions, and wave late fees to provide relief and flexibility to property tax owners; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant's priority as a state senator was always to ensure her office was readily available to all the residents of her district by holding regular town halls, senior events, an annual kids' fair, informative workshops, and traveling office hours throughout the 49th district; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant exits the Senate to become the first woman to hold the office of Will County Executive; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant for her service to the people of Illinois and honor her with this resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Bertino-Tarrant with our best wishes for all her future endeavors.