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HR0555 |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish |
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| to present this resolution as a tribute to and acknowledgement |
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| of Alan J. Dixon's contributions to the State of Illinois and |
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| the nation, as we benefit immensely from his presence in |
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| Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon will celebrate his 80th birthday on |
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| July 7, 2007, and we congratulate him for his distinguished |
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| service to the State of Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon began his 43-year political career |
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| in law school, when he was elected Belleville Police |
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| Magistrate; at the age of 23, he became one of the youngest |
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| legislators ever elected to serve in the Illinois House of |
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| Representatives; and
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| WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon rose through the ranks of State |
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| government as an Illinois State Representative for 12 years |
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| before being elected to the Illinois Senate; and
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| WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon served in the Illinois Senate for 8 |
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| years, rising to Assistant Democratic Leader; in 1970, he was |
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| elected State Treasurer; he has since served as Secretary of |
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| State, an office he won by a margin of 1.3 million votes; he |
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LRB095 12562 GRL 37801 r |
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| won re-election to that office by a margin of 1.5 million |
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| votes; that re-election marked the only time a candidate from |
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| either political party ever carried all 102 Illinois counties |
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| in an election, including all 30 townships in suburban Cook |
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| County and all 50 wards in the City of Chicago; and
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| WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was a gregarious politician and was |
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| known as "Al the Pal" among friends, colleagues, and news |
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| pundits; his staff wore "I'm Al's Pal" campaign buttons during |
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| his 1980 campaign for the United States Senate; he was elected |
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| to the United States Senate that year; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1988 and again in 1990, Alan J. Dixon was |
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| selected by his party colleagues unanimously to serve as the |
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| Chief Deputy Whip of the United States Senate, the number 3 |
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| leadership post; Senator Dixon enjoyed an unbroken string of 29 |
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| election victories; and
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| WHEREAS, At the request of President Clinton, Alan J. Dixon |
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| served as chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment |
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| Commission in 1994 and 1995, a job that called for both defense |
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| experience and good political relationships with both |
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| Democrats and Republicans; as a former chairman of an important |
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| Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, Senator Dixon had the |
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| defense knowledge required for the job; he also got along well |
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| with both Democrats and Republicans; and
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| WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon is presently a partner with the St. |
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| Louis based law firm, Bryan Cave, LLP, where he serves both |
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| corporate and government clients; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| July 7, 2007 and each subsequent July 7 be known as Alan J. |
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| Dixon Day to recognize the innumerable achievements of Alan J. |
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| Dixon; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| presented to Alan J. Dixon as an expression of our utmost |
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| respect and esteem.
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