| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, William B. "Bill" Black is retiring in December of | ||||||
3 | 2010 after serving the residents of East Central Illinois for | ||||||
4 | nearly 24 years in the Illinois House of Representatives; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Representative Black was first elected to the | ||||||
6 | Illinois General Assembly to serve the 105th District in | ||||||
7 | November of 1986 after being appointed to fill a vacancy in | ||||||
8 | February of that year; in November of 2008, he was elected to | ||||||
9 | his 12th term in the 104th District; and
| ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, Representative Black is a native of Danville, | ||||||
11 | where his family has owned and operated a small business for | ||||||
12 | more than 60 years; and
| ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, Representative Black served his hometown as an | ||||||
14 | administrator at Danville Community College and as an organizer | ||||||
15 | of the Danville Area Economic Development Corporation; and | ||||||
16 | WHEREAS, Representative Black has had a long and | ||||||
17 | distinguished career serving his local community; he served on | ||||||
18 | the Vermilion County Board as a member and chairman; he served | ||||||
19 | as President of the Danville Jaycees and Danville South Rotary; | ||||||
20 | he has also served on the Danville Area Convention and Visitors | ||||||
21 | Bureau, the Vermilion County Chapter of the American Red Cross, |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Mental Health Advisory Board; | ||||||
2 | and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, Representative Black joined the late Senator | ||||||
4 | Harry "Babe" Woodyard in the General Assembly to create a | ||||||
5 | formidable team and a strong voice for central Illinois | ||||||
6 | communities; his accomplishments include a law that improved | ||||||
7 | before and after school daycare for Illinois families and a | ||||||
8 | measure that protects the habitats of Illinois wildlife; and
| ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, Representative Black was named Republican Floor | ||||||
10 | Leader and Assistant Republican Leader in 1991 and Deputy | ||||||
11 | Republican Leader in 2002; and | ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Representative Black is recognized as one of the | ||||||
13 | most gifted orators in the General Assembly and is known for | ||||||
14 | stating his positions strongly and clearly, but often with a | ||||||
15 | touch of humor to lighten up a contentious debate; and
| ||||||
16 | WHEREAS, Representative Black is respected by colleagues | ||||||
17 | on both sides of the aisle as a statesman who puts the needs of | ||||||
18 | his district above all other concerns; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Representative Black, a former educator, has | ||||||
20 | consistently fought to improve educational opportunities from | ||||||
21 | pre-school to college and beyond; he was the sponsor of |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | legislation to provide school districts more flexibility to | ||||||
2 | consolidate or to modify their school calendars and to | ||||||
3 | eliminate costly tuition waivers imposed on the University of | ||||||
4 | Illinois and other State universities; and | ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Representative Black has championed other issues | ||||||
6 | important to families in his district, including protecting the | ||||||
7 | funding for roads and other needed infrastructure | ||||||
8 | improvements, helping low income families and seniors keep warm | ||||||
9 | in the winter by removing the sales tax on natural gas, | ||||||
10 | creating jobs through the creation of Job Renewal Zones, | ||||||
11 | cracking down on drunk and distracted drivers that pose a | ||||||
12 | deadly hazard on our roads, and protecting the rights of | ||||||
13 | adoptive parents; and
| ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, Representative Black successfully worked to keep | ||||||
15 | our State parks and recreational areas open for the education | ||||||
16 | and enjoyment of our families and worked with colleagues across | ||||||
17 | the State and Chicago city leaders to stop the infamous phantom | ||||||
18 | Chicago parking tickets; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Representative Black's good humor is infectious, | ||||||
20 | and House Republican members and staff can always count on | ||||||
21 | Representative Black to make them laugh on long session days by | ||||||
22 | ambushing them with squirt guns, silly string, and other toys, | ||||||
23 | or by relaying a funny story or joke; and |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, Representative Black has received many honors for | ||||||
2 | his service to his local communities, including several | ||||||
3 | Outstanding Legislator Awards from various Illinois | ||||||
4 | associations; he was also named one of the ten Outstanding | ||||||
5 | State Legislators in the country in 1991; and
| ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, Representative Bill Black is married to the former | ||||||
7 | Sharon MacArthur; together, they have 2 grown children, Debra | ||||||
8 | and Doug, and 6 grandchildren; therefore, be it
| ||||||
9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
10 | NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
11 | congratulate our friend and colleague, Representative William | ||||||
12 | B. "Bill" Black, on his retirement from the Illinois House of | ||||||
13 | Representatives and wish him the best in his future endeavors; | ||||||
14 | and be it further
| ||||||
15 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
16 | presented to State Representative William B. "Bill" Black as a | ||||||
17 | symbol of our respect and esteem.
|