SR0344 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0344 LRB093 14928 HSS 40496 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of their former colleague, U.S. Senator Paul Simon, of Makanda, on Tuesday, December 9, 2003; and

WHEREAS, Senator Simon was born on November 29, 1928 in Eugene, Oregon to Reverend Martin Simon and his wife, Ruth; he attended Dana College in Nebraska; and

WHEREAS, Senator Simon's success in politics began with the reformer's zeal he evidenced at the Troy Tribune, where he was a crusading owner-editor, the nation's youngest newspaper owner, before he was old enough to vote; he testified in 1951 before Senator Estes Kefauver's Crime Investigating Committee, and in 1954, after a two-year stint in the Army Counter Intelligence Corps along the Iron Curtain, he parlayed exposure of political corruption and organized crime in Madison County into a successful race for the Illinois House; and

WHEREAS, Senator Simon served eight years in the House of Representatives, where he met his first wife, Jeanne Hurley of Wilmette, shortly after she was elected to the State legislature in 1956; they married in 1960, becoming the first husband-and-wife team in the history of the Illinois General Assembly; she preceded him in death in 2000; and

WHEREAS, As a legislator, he was chief sponsor of the law that required governmental agencies at all levels to open their meetings to the public and the news media; he voluntarily disclosed his personal finances in his first race for the State legislature - long before any disclosure was required - and continued baring his finances in more detail than the law required throughout his political career; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, voters elected Republican Richard Ogilvie as Governor and Democrat Paul Simon as Lieutenant Governor, the only time in Illinois history that voters would pair politicians of different parties for those offices; as Lieutenant Governor, he held town meetings throughout the State to field complaints about State government; following his term as Lieutenant Governor, he started the public affairs reporting program at Sangamon State University, now the University of Illinois at Springfield; and

WHEREAS, In 1974, Senator Simon was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving 10 years until winning election to the U.S. Senate; he held the seat for 12 years before retiring in 1997; he helped overhaul the federal student loan program to enable students and their families to borrow directly from the government; he advocated for liberal causes and increased funding for social programs, but he also campaigned for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution; he was known to be a man of integrity and a voice for the less fortunate; and

WHEREAS, Senator Simon wrote weekly newspaper columns for 46 years and authored or co-wrote more than 20 books between 1964 and 2003; his most recent book, "Our Culture of Pandering" was published earlier this year; and

WHEREAS, Following his retirement from the U.S. Senate, Senator Simon took up teaching, writing, and heading the Public Policy Institute, a think tank which he founded at Southern Illinois University Carbondale; he married Patricia Derge in 2001; he is the recipient of several honorary degrees and other accolades; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Senator Paul Simon has been deeply felt by many throughout the State of Illinois, but especially by his wife, Patricia; his daughter, Sheila; his son, Martin; and his step-daughter, Jennie Derge; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Senator Paul Simon, a great man who will long be remembered for his devotion to serving the least fortunate people of our society, for his genuine personality, and his trademark bow-tie and glasses; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Senator Paul Simon as an expression of our sincerest condolences during their time of bereavement.