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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor our former esteemed
4colleague, State Representative Thomas Holbrook, for his 17
5years as a member of the Illinois General Assembly and thank
6him for his many years of dedicated service to the people of
7Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook was born November 23,
91949; he earned a bachelor's degree in social science and
10government at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville;
11worked in the private sector for 33 years, 25 of which he spent
12at Afton (Ethyl) Corporation, installing, maintaining, and
13calibrating state of the art instrumentation for monitoring
14emissions and quality control; he served as a member of the St.
15Clair County Board from 1981 to 1994, where he actively
16participated in several committees; he married his wife, Molly,
17and has one daughter, Susan; he has continued his active
18involvement in the community by participating in several
19fraternal and service organizations; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook was first elected to the
21Illinois House of Representatives in 1994; he served as an
22advocate for the 113th District in a variety of positions,
23including as chairman of the House Committee on Environment and

 

 

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1Energy, vice-chairman of the House Committee on Public
2Utilities, as a member of the Joint Committee on Administrative
3Rules, and as chairman of the Downstate Democratic Caucus; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook made it a priority to
5provide outstanding constituent services to the residents of
6the 113th District; he fought to secure State funding for
7crucial community projects and infrastructure improvements
8across the Metro East region; he loved working to improve our
9schools, identifying new markets for Illinois agricultural
10products, creating and retaining jobs, and fighting to support
11and protect working families; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook was one of the State's
13leading voices on environmental issues; he served as a member
14of the House Committee on Environment & Energy for nearly two
15decades and as chairman for the last decade, helping to craft
16significant environmental legislation, including a re-write of
17the procedural process for addressing leaking underground
18storage tanks; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook has been a strong
20advocate for education issues and improving the public school
21system; he helped to implement job-creating infrastructure
22improvement projects, including vital work on Interstates 64,
2370, 55, 255, and US Highway 50, and the construction of a new

 

 

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1interchange at I-70; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook staunchly defended
3consumers, securing rate relief for electric ratepayers and
4creating a new energy procurement agency to lower the cost of
5energy for customers; he fought the emergence of
6methamphetamine in downstate Illinois and supported one of the
7nation's toughest anti-meth laws; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook worked hard to improve
9the quality of life for Illinois' senior citizens and veterans,
10backing the creation of the Circuit Breaker/Pharmaceutical
11Assistance program, securing substantial property tax relief
12for older adults and disabled veterans, and sponsoring the
13first property tax relief in Illinois for disabled veterans,
14returning veterans, disabled and handicap citizens; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook voted with his district's
16best interests in mind; he is a staunch defender of the Second
17Amendment; he worked with local doctors and State officials to
18address the medical malpractice insurance crisis, allowing
19more doctors to stay in our communities; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook served as a member of many
21committees during his tenure in the House, including the
22committees on Aging, Business Occupational Licenses, Electric

 

 

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1Generation & Commerce, Financial Institutions, Fire
2Protection, Public Utilities, Railroad Safety, Renewable
3Energy, Registration and Regulation, Revenue,
4Telecommunications, Tourism, Transportation, and Roads; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Representative Holbrook has been recognized for
6his legislative efforts by organizations including the
7Illinois Primary Health Care Association, the Illinois Health
8Care Association, the HealthCare Council of Illinois, and the
9Illinois Public Transportation Association; he received the
10RCGA Lewis and Clark Statesman Award; he was recognized by the
11Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA) for
12"Outstanding Contributions to Economic Development in
13Southwestern Illinois" in 2009; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we thank State Representative Thomas Holbrook for his years of
17dedicated service; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to Representative Thomas Holbrook as a token of our
20respect and esteem and with our best wishes for his future
21success.