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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate Secretary of State Jesse | ||||||
| 4 | White on becoming the longest serving Secretary of State in | ||||||
| 5 | Illinois history on May 30, 2014; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Secretary White served in the General Assembly for | ||||||
| 7 | 16 years, as Cook County Recorder of Deeds for 6 years, and was | ||||||
| 8 | first elected Secretary of State in 1998 - the first | ||||||
| 9 | African-American to serve in that position; he won landslide | ||||||
| 10 | re-election in 2002, 2006, and 2010; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Secretary White has strengthened the Secretary of | ||||||
| 12 | State Inspector General's Office, reformed the State's | ||||||
| 13 | Commercial Driver's License Program, cracked down on fraud and | ||||||
| 14 | abuse in the Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities, | ||||||
| 15 | fought for tougher DUI laws, enforced investor protection laws, | ||||||
| 16 | streamlined operations to improve customer service, and | ||||||
| 17 | continued to upgrade and expand the range of services available | ||||||
| 18 | online; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Secretary White has introduced groundbreaking | ||||||
| 20 | programs and legislative initiatives that have made Illinois a | ||||||
| 21 | national leader in traffic safety and directly led to saved | ||||||
| 22 | lives on the roads; the Secretary of State's Organ/Tissue Donor | ||||||
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| 1 | Program has received national acclaim and continues to serve as | ||||||
| 2 | a model for other states; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Secretary White has always had a commitment to | ||||||
| 4 | improving young lives; he founded the internationally renowned | ||||||
| 5 | Jesse White Tumbling Team in 1959 and continues to work with | ||||||
| 6 | the team to help at-risk youth stay drug-free and in school; as | ||||||
| 7 | State librarian, he brought his innovative Project Next | ||||||
| 8 | Generation program to public libraries across the State; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Secretary White was born in Alton and earned his | ||||||
| 10 | Bachelor of Science degree in 1957 from Alabama State College; | ||||||
| 11 | he served in the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division | ||||||
| 12 | and as a member of the Illinois National Guard and Army | ||||||
| 13 | Reserve; he played professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs | ||||||
| 14 | organization and spent 33 years as a teacher and administrator | ||||||
| 15 | with Chicago public schools; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, During his tenure as Secretary of State, Jesse | ||||||
| 17 | White has made Illinois's roads safer, raised the ethical | ||||||
| 18 | standards in his office, and used modern technology to make his | ||||||
| 19 | office consumer friendly; therefore, be it
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| 20 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 21 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 22 | we congratulate Secretary of State Jesse White on becoming the | ||||||
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| 1 | longest serving Secretary of State in Illinois history and wish | ||||||
| 2 | him many more years of success; and be it further
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| 3 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 4 | presented to Secretary White as an expression of our esteem and | ||||||
| 5 | respect.
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