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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois
3 wish to commend Senator Adeline Geo-Karis of Zion on her
4 longtime commitment to her constituents and the people of
5 Illinois; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis is an exemplary lawmaker who is
7 held in the highest regard for her thirty-three years of public
8 service in the Illinois General Assembly, which commenced in
9 the Illinois House of Representatives and concluded in the
10 Illinois Senate; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Adeline Geo-Karis was born on March 29, 1918, in
12 Tegeas, Greece and would become known as a proud American,
13 political pioneer, and beloved public steward; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis attended Northwestern
15 University and received her L.L.B. from DePaul University; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has devoted decades to making
17 life better for the people of Lake County; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has worked hard throughout her
19 lengthy career to advance the public good and safeguard
20 freedom; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has served as a lieutenant
22 commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves, an Assistant State's
23 Attorney, a Justice of the Peace, the Mayor of Zion, a State
24 Representative, and a State Senator; and
 
25     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis heads her own law firm in Zion,
26 Illinois, she is a former municipal attorney for Mundelein,
27 Vernon Hills, Libertyville Township, and Long Grove School
28 District, and she was elected Justice of the Peace in Lake

 

 

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1 County, Illinois; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis was the first woman ever to be
3 appointed to the position of Assistant State's Attorney in Lake
4 County, and she went on to become the first Lake-County woman
5 elected to the Senate and the House; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis was the first woman in Illinois'
7 history ever to serve in the Senate Leadership, serving for ten
8 years as Assistant Senate Majority Leader; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis was the Minority Spokesman for
10 the Senate Executive Appointments Committee, and she is
11 currently one of only two Republican Senators to serve as
12 co-chairperson of a committee in the 94th General Assembly; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has been a strong advocate for
14 veterans; she serves as Chairperson of the Senate Republican
15 Task Force on Veterans, where she has continually worked to
16 protect our men and women in the Armed Forces; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has worked in a bipartisan
18 manner to enact legislation for strong crime control and to
19 benefit veterans, senior citizens, children, people with
20 disabilities, and the working majority; and
 
21      WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis pioneered legislation on
22 gasohol, solar energy, and other alternative energy resources,
23 and she is commended for her sponsorship of the Nuclear Safety
24 Preparedness Act, the Alternative Energy Act, laws to increase
25 safety on Illinois lakes, and many other laws; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis successfully sponsored and
27 supported important crime-control legislation, and she is a
28 proud sponsor of the "Guilty but Mentally Ill" law; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has been consistently
2 recognized for her commitment and support of Illinois' business
3 community, senior citizens, and agriculture, resulting in
4 better lives and more opportunities for many of her
5 constituents; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis' commitment to aiding and
7 advancing the needs of Illinois' veterans and Armed Forces is a
8 testament to the highest form of compassion, patriotism, and
9 human decency; and
 
10     WHEREAS, While she is proud of her American citizenship,
11 Adeline Geo-Karis continues to honor her Greek heritage and has
12 worked to assist and support the Greek community throughout her
13 tenure as a public official; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis has been affectionately dubbed
15 "Geo" by her friends and colleagues and is a beloved political
16 icon known throughout Illinois for her intelligence,
17 compassion, and gracious demeanor; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Geo has been, and will continue to be, an
19 inspiration to women and men everywhere for her many
20 achievements and accomplishments and for her service to the
21 people of Illinois; therefore, be it
 
22     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
23 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that Senator Geo-Karis will
24 leave us with cherished memories of the times that she shared
25 with us, and we wish her good health and future happiness; and
26 be it further
 
27     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
28 presented to Senator Geo-Karis as an expression of our great
29 esteem and respect for our colleague and friend.