HJ0035 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0035 LRB103 32241 JDS 61457 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430/25-10) requires the Legislative Ethics Commission to diligently search for qualified candidates for the Legislative Inspector General position and to make recommendations to the General Assembly, which shall appoint a Legislative Inspector General by joint resolution; and

WHEREAS, Subsection (b) of Section 25-10 further states that the Legislative Inspector General shall be selected solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability and sets forth the necessary educational and employment criteria; and

WHEREAS, The Honorable Michael P. McCuskey was appointed to serve as Legislative Inspector General on February 23, 2022 to complete a 5-year term that expires on June 30, 2023 and has communicated to the Legislative Ethics Commission his willingness to be reappointed to serve as Legislative Inspector General for a 5-year term that begins on July 1, 2023 and ends on June 30, 2028; and

WHEREAS, At its last meeting, the Legislative Ethics Commission unanimously voted to recommend that the General Assembly retain Judge McCuskey as Legislative Inspector General; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey is an individual of high integrity and demonstrated ability who, as a former public defender and judge, has led an exemplary career of public service that more than qualifies him to continue serving as the Legislative Inspector General; and

WHEREAS, A native of Peoria, Judge McCuskey was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1975 and has dedicated his professional life to work that has demonstrated his commitment to integrity, professionalism, and ethics; and

WHEREAS, After serving for over a decade as the chief public defender in Marshall County, Judge McCuskey was elected in 1988 as an Illinois circuit court judge for the Tenth Judicial Circuit; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court for the Third Judicial District in 1990, where he served until 1998; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey was nominated for the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by a Republican-controlled United States Senate in 1998, serving as Chief Judge of the District from 2004 to 2012; and

WHEREAS, Upon retirement from the federal bench in 2014, Judge McCuskey was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve again as a State circuit court judge for the Tenth Judicial District, a post to which he was subsequently elected by voters in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey retired from the court in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey served on the Illinois Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism for nearly 15 years, first as a commissioner and then as an advisor until he retired; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Association and formerly served as Chairman of the Illinois State University Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, Judge McCuskey's extensive experience, appointments, and professional activities overwhelmingly qualify him for the position of Legislative Inspector General, an office that necessitates both keen intellect and insight into the personal and professional motivations of persons acting in the public realm; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we reappoint the Honorable Michael P. McCuskey as Legislative Inspector General in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, endorsing him wholeheartedly as surpassing all statutory requirements and ensuring that his sterling character and dedication to government service will enhance the Office of Legislative Inspector General and benefit the administration of the ethical foundation on which Illinois legislators and legislative employees operate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, the reappointment of Legislative Inspector General McCuskey takes effect upon the adoption of this joint resolution by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, the certification of this joint resolution by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, and the filing of this joint resolution with the Secretary of State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, Legislative Inspector General McCuskey's next term as Legislative Inspector General shall commence upon July 1, 2023 and continue through June 30, 2028; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to Legislative Inspector General McCuskey and the Legislative Ethics Commission.