SR0777 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0777 LRB093 24270 CSA 54532 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois wish to congratulate Senator Patrick D. Welch of Peru on his service to the people of the 38th District; and

WHEREAS, Senator Welch served as the Assistant Majority Leader for the 93rd General Assembly; he has been a member of the Illinois Senate since 1983, and has served this body with distinction; and

WHEREAS, Senator Welch has spearheaded environmental protection measures to ensure that Illinois' lands, air, and waterways are kept clean for future generations; in 1988, he received national recognition and was awarded the "Best Bet Award" from the National Center of Environmental Alternatives for his sponsorship of the Groundwater Protection Act; he has also received numerous other environmental, labor, rehabilitation, and agricultural awards; and

WHEREAS, Senator Welch has a strong record of securing millions of dollars for a variety of much-needed northeastern Illinois road, bridge, and quality-of-life infrastructure improvements; he has been a leader in assisting economic development through local park improvements, riverfront development grants, and water and sewage system improvement grants; and

WHEREAS, In the 93rd General Assembly, Senator Welch co-sponsored the Senior Citizen Prescription Drug Discount Program Act; he also sponsored several measures providing higher standards for corporate accountability, and he helped to secure the re-opening of the Sheridan Correctional Center; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, Senator Welch supported a bill for equal pay, resulting in a landmark law that specifies that women are to receive the same pay as men for doing the same job, and he voted for an increase in the minimum wage; in addition to these bills, he also was a prime mover behind state funding for the building of the Starved Rock Resort & Conference Center in Ottawa, the Grand Bear Lodge in Utica, and an 80-bed expansion to the LaSalle Veterans Home; and

WHEREAS, He has been a member of the Committees on Appropriations II (chairperson), Appropriations I, Agriculture & Conservation, Environment & Energy, Revenue, and the Subcommittee on Gaming-Revenue; in addition, he has served as co-chairperson of the Economic & Fiscal Commission; and

WHEREAS, Senator Welch was born December 12, 1948; he attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIU-C) where he earned a bachelor's degree in government; following graduation from SIU-C, he attended the Illinois Institute of Technology/Kent College of Law, where he earned his J.D. degree; shortly after graduation, he was admitted to the Illinois Bar; Senator Welch practices law in Peru, Illinois; he has one son; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Senator Welch on a job well done and we wish him well in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Welch as an expression of our esteem and respect for our colleague and friend.