SR0909 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0909 LRB103 40219 JDS 72123 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough, who passed away on April 7, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was born on August 22, 1950; she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Chicago State University and her Master of Arts in Inner City Studies from Northeastern Illinois University; she and her husband, Henderson, have been longtime Maywood residents and active members of their community; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was a beloved leader, a dedicated public servant, and a tireless legislator who was serving her second term as Clerk of Cook County at the time of her passing, leaving behind a career that spanned local and state politics for over three decades; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was first elected Clerk of Cook County in 2018, becoming the first woman and first African American to hold the office; she oversaw elections in suburban Cook County and maintained the county's vital records, such as birth, marriage, civil union, and death certificates; she was credited with implementing sweeping changes throughout the office, including a complete modernization of election voting equipment and enhancements to the entire voting process for suburban voters; and

WHEREAS, During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Clerk Yarbrough successfully managed a first-of-its kind government consolidation by assuming all duties of the former Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office into the operations of the Clerk's Office; she was noted for her commitment to accuracy, efficiency, advocacy, and cybersecurity, resulting in groundbreaking initiatives in programming and technology; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough previously served as Cook County Recorder of Deeds from December 2012 to 2018; prior to that, she served as State Representative of Illinois' 7th District from 2001 until 2012, representing parts of the western suburbs of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, During her tenure in the Illinois House of Representatives, Clerk Yarbrough served as an Assistant Majority Leader and as a leader of the Black Caucus and sponsored many landmark pieces of legislation, including the law that abolished the death penalty in the State, one of the nation's first cyberstalking laws, and the Smoke Free Illinois Act; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was active in the Democratic Party, working for both the Cook County Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Illinois; she served as a committeeperson for the Cook County Democratic Party, representing west suburban Proviso Township, and also served as treasurer; she was a member of the State Central Committee for the Democratic Party of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Outside of politics, Clerk Yarbrough was a licensed real estate broker and the founder of the Hathaway Insurance Agency; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was a wife, a mother, a sister, an aunt, a mentor, and a trailblazer; as a public servant, she remained committed to social and economic justice, serving as a champion of women's rights and a defender of the underprivileged; she will be remembered for leading an incredibly impactful life while serving the people of Illinois with steadfast devotion; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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