HR0690 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0690 LRB103 40225 MST 72145 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, a trailblazing Maywood Democrat who served in public office for more than two decades; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough was born on August 22, 1950; she was a native of Washington D.C. but established herself as a third generation entrepreneur in Cook County; she earned a degree in business administration from Chicago State University and a master's degree in Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University and completed a senior executive government program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough made significant contributions after entering her family's tradition of work in the real estate, appraisal, and insurance industry, especially as a woman in a then male-dominated profession; she was the founder and longtime chief executive officer of Hathaway Insurance and was driven to succeed despite those who looked over her shoulder to see if the man who ran the business was around; she often shared this anecdote to inspire young women to persevere through adversity; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough was sworn in as a state representative in 2001 and served for a time as assistant majority leader; she earned a reputation as a hardworking leader unafraid to fight for what she believed was right; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough was elected Cook County Recorder of Deeds in 2012 and Clerk in 2018; she was the first Black person and first woman to serve as Cook County Clerk; when the recorder's office was eliminated, she assumed all duties of that office as county clerk in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough believed that Illinois would be a better place if it ended the death penalty, taking up an effort that had made little progress in 30 years; she worked tirelessly to help others find the courage to stand for true justice and made Illinois the 16th state to repeal capital punishment, earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and an audience with Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough believed than many of society's problems stem from poverty, and she focused much of her effort on eliminating it; she passed legislation creating the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty in 2008, and as a long-time member of the commission, she led its efforts to expand access to affordable housing, adequate food and nutrition, quality health care, equal access to education, dependable transportation, enriching child care for all, opportunities to earn a living wage, and availability of adequate income supports; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough recognized that predatory mortgage lending practices had a deleterious effect on communities, especially communities of color, and fought to crack down on state-chartered banks and establish a program to track lending and offer mortgage counseling to potential buyers at risk; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough helped usher in the first major statewide capital construction program in Illinois in a decade to repair the state's crumbling roads, bridges, and schools and create jobs; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough led the passage of the Smoke Free Illinois Act, one of her proudest achievements, which eliminated indoor smoking in bars, restaurants, and other public places, protecting countless workers, customers, and medically vulnerable individuals from the effects of secondhand smoke; while at the time some believed the effort could not be done, she fought for what was right and made Illinois a leader in the effort to eliminate indoor smoking; her policy is now law in the majority of the country; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough was active in Democratic Party politics, working for both the Cook County Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Illinois; she was a Democratic committeeperson representing west suburban Proviso Township for the Cook County party, where she was also the treasurer; she was a member of the state central committee for the Illinois party; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough received numerous awards recognizing her efforts to promote social justice, public health, fair housing, anti-violence, volunteerism and women's rights, and she proudly mentored young people who sought to become more involved in their communities; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough enjoyed spending time with her family and was especially proud of her children and grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Karen Yarbrough was a dedicated public servant who was always encouraging and paved the way for many; she was a wonderful human being and was loved by many; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, a trailblazing Maywood Democrat who served in public office for more than two decades; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Karen Yarbrough as an expression of our deepest sympathy.