093_HR0243 LRB093 11613 HSS 15019 r 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois benefits from the revenues 3 and economic activity of countless businesses and public 4 utilities that rely on flood control structures to protect 5 individuals and property from the ravages of the Illinois, 6 Kaskaskia, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers; and 7 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois benefits from improved 8 public health and quality of life for its citizens due to 9 well-drained land and access to marinas that offer waterborne 10 recreational activities; and 11 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois benefits from hundreds of 12 miles of navigable waterways and waterborne commerce on the 13 Illinois, Kaskaskia, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers; therefore, 14 be it 15 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 16 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 17 the members of the House of Representatives support 18 strengthening flood control structures to a common level of 19 protection to improve the safety and well-being of the 20 State's citizens, wildlife sanctuaries, and economic assets; 21 and be it further 22 RESOLVED, That the members of the Illinois House of 23 Representatives support the federally-funded Upper 24 Mississippi River Comprehensive Plan that is to develop 25 recommendations for systematic flood protection and for 26 coordinating the varied uses of the Illinois and Mississippi 27 rivers; and be it further 28 RESOLVED, That the State of Illinois needs to encourage 29 the modernization of the navigation locks and dams on the 30 Illinois, Kaskaskia, and Mississippi rivers to maintain the 31 Midwest's position in global markets and to facilitate -2- LRB093 11613 HSS 15019 r 1 movement of commodities that produce energy, such as coal and 2 oil, build the foundations of communities, and protect 3 Midwestern communities from extreme weather conditions, and 4 to facilitate movement of recreational boaters on the rivers; 5 and be it further 6 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 7 delivered to the President of the United States, the Speaker 8 of the United States House of Representatives, the President 9 of the United States Senate, and each member of the Illinois 10 Congressional delegation.