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LRB093 02445 HSS 10971 a
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 0002
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Joint Resolution 0002 by
3 replacing everything after the title with the following:
4 "WHEREAS, The General Assembly takes pride in
5 recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of Illinois
6 officials and citizens; and
7 WHEREAS, The General Assembly, as an august body,
8 exercises discerning judgement in resolutions to cite the
9 noted achievements of a select few individuals, especially
10 when bestowing one of the highest methods of recognition by
11 the State; and
12 WHEREAS, In recognition of the lasting legacies and many
13 sacrifices that Justice Michael Bilandic and Justice Benjamin
14 Miller have made for the citizenry of the State of Illinois,
15 the General Assembly would like to recognize these
16 individuals with the rare honor of naming public buildings
17 after these former State officials; and
18 WHEREAS, Michael Anthony Bilandic was one of the more
19 influential and highly regarded public figures in Chicago,
20 serving as Mayor of Chicago from 1976 to 1979 and later as
21 Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court; he was a man of
22 commitment and a loyal Chicagoan; most importantly, he was
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1 devoted to his family, faithful to his church, and proud of
2 his Croatian heritage; he died on January 16, 2002, at the
3 age of 78; he is survived by his wife Heather, son Michael,
4 brothers Steve and Nick, and sister Eleanor; and
5 WHEREAS, Born on February 13, 1923 to Croatian
6 immigrants, Justice Bilandic grew up in the Bridgeport
7 community where he attended St. Jerome Grammar School (class
8 of '36) and De La Salle High School; after receiving a
9 Bachelor of Science degree from St. Mary's College, he
10 attended DePaul University College of Law where he earned a
11 Juris Doctor degree; during WWII, he courageously served as a
12 First Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps; and
13 WHEREAS, Justice Bilandic's political career was rich and
14 diverse, including service in all three branches of
15 government over four decades; he began his long and
16 distinguished public service career in 1969 when his
17 neighbors elected him to represent them as Alderman of the
18 11th Ward in Chicago; as a member of the City Council,
19 Alderman Bilandic pushed for the passage of many initiatives
20 designed to protect the city's environment, including a ban
21 on harmful lead-based paint and on phosphates in laundry
22 detergent, and the passage of the Lakefront Protection
23 Ordinance; considered an expert in government finance, he
24 rose to serve as Chairman of the city's Finance Committee and
25 later became floor leader; and
26 WHEREAS, In 1976, Bilandic was selected by his colleagues
27 to serve as Mayor of Chicago; he was elected to that office
28 in 1977, and held the post until 1979; as Mayor, he continued
29 to be an innovator in the area of enhancing the city; he
30 organized the first ChicagoFest, which was the precursor of
31 many current festivals, and lent his support to the Chicago
32 Marathon, which has become one of the premier running events
33 in the world; he arranged the city-insured, low-interest
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1 mortgage loans for middle-income families in order to make
2 the city more appealing to families; his wise and intelligent
3 concern for the good of Chicago is evident in his
4 accomplishments; and
5 WHEREAS, Bilandic returned to private law practice in
6 1979, and was widely respected for his keen intellect and
7 exceptional insight into the intricacies of corporate law; a
8 new career was begun with his election to the 1st District
9 Appellate court and, in 1990, with his election to the
10 highest judicial office, the Illinois Supreme Court, where he
11 served as Chief Justice from 1994 through l996; Justice
12 Bilandic will always be remembered for his long years of
13 unselfish public service, characterized by his decency,
14 intelligence, and integrity; the legacy of Bilandic's
15 dedication, devotion, and hard work serve as an example to
16 all; a group of Chicago aldermen led the effort to rename the
17 State of Illinois Building after him; and
18 WHEREAS, While much of Michael Bilandic's life was often
19 consumed by his outstanding legal and political career, he
20 possessed a great passion for his family and heritage; both
21 of his parents came to the United States from Croatia in the
22 early 1900s; his mother, "Minnie" (Lebedina), came from the
23 village of Bobovisce on the island of Brac, Croatia; his
24 father, Mate Bilandzic (later changed to Bilandic),
25 immigrated from Dicmo, a village near Sinj, Croatia; he
26 shared his family roots with his wife and son, and often
27 visited Croatia; and
28 WHEREAS, Following a peaceful and dignified family
29 funeral service, Justice Bilandic was quietly and humbly
30 buried beside his parents at St. Mary Cemetery; his wife
31 described him as "a devoted family man (who) also loved
32 Chicago and its people, was proud of his Croatian heritage,
33 and grateful for the opportunities which this country
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1 provided to his family"; he was a gentle soul, a man of
2 integrity, honor, and dignity, who brought gentleness and
3 respect into the fields of government, law, politics, and all
4 aspects of his life; and
5 WHEREAS, Justice Michael A. Bilandic made vital
6 contributions of service and merit to the State of Illinois
7 and to the State's citizens and deserves to have his
8 achievements noted and remembered by current and future
9 generations, as his memory is now honored by the General
10 Assembly; and
11 WHEREAS, Justice Benjamin K. Miller began serving as
12 Circuit Court Judge in Illinois for the 7th Judicial Circuit
13 in 1976, was the Presiding Judge in that Circuit's criminal
14 felony division, and was in 1981 the Chief Judge of the 7th
15 Judicial Circuit; and he was elected in 1982 to the Fourth
16 District Appellate Court and elected to the Illinois Supreme
17 Court in 1984, and was Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme
18 Court from 1991 to 1994; and
19 WHEREAS, Justice Miller served the judicial branch
20 wisely at all 3 levels of the Illinois court system, wrote
21 numerous landmark judicial opinions, made noble contributions
22 to jurisprudence, and served his profession, the citizens,
23 and the State of Illinois with integrity and distinction; and
24 WHEREAS, These individuals have made vital contributions
25 of service and merit to the State of Illinois and to the
26 State's citizens and deserve to have their achievements noted
27 and remembered by current and future generations, as they are
28 honored by the General Assembly today; therefore, be it
29 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
30 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
31 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we rename the State of
32 Illinois Building at 160 North La Salle Street in Chicago in
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1 honor of Justice Michael Bilandic; and in implementing this
2 honor, we designate that State building as the Justice
3 Michael Bilandic State of Illinois Building; and be it
4 further
5 RESOLVED, That we rename the 4th District Appellate
6 Court Building at 201 West Monroe Street in Springfield in
7 honor of Justice Benjamin Miller; and in implementing this
8 honor, we designate that court building as the Justice
9 Benjamin Miller 4th District Appellate Court Building; and be
10 it further
11 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this preamble and
12 resolution be presented to Justice Benjamin Miller and to the
13 family of Justice Michael Bilandic; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this preamble and
15 resolution be presented to the Director of Central Management
16 Services, the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court,
17 and other operating authorities for the cited buildings.".