HR1070 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1070 LRB102 30109 LAW 42337 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend their colleague, State Representative Keith Wheeler, on the occasion of his retirement as state representative of the 50th District; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler is a proud sixth-generation resident of Kendall County and a graduate of Oswego High School; he is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler has been a small business owner for more than 30 years, having started his own IT consulting company, Responsive Network Services, LLC, which supports the mission and vision of small organization leaders by building IT solutions to protect their critical data; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler was elected state representative of the 50th District of Illinois in 2014, serving the people of Kane and Kendall Counties, and he was subsequently reelected in 2016, 2018, and 2020; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler was appointed to the positions of Chairman of the Republican Conference in 2018 and Assistant Republican Leader in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler served as co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and as the Republican spokesperson on the Executive, Public Utilities, and Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, & IT Committees, respectively, in addition to serving on the Labor & Commerce Committee and the Prescription Drug Affordability & Accessibility Committee; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler's most notable legislative achievements include passage of the Blue Collar Jobs Act in 2019 to incentivize construction projects in the State of Illinois and create jobs for the middle class, passage of Henry's Law in 2021 to allow expectant mothers in their third trimester to obtain a free 90-day placard to use handicapped-accessible parking spaces in the State to make it more convenient for working moms, a new state law passed in 2022 that requires health insurance plans to offer coverage for hormone therapy treatment for women who have undergone a hysterectomy, legislation ensuring access to safe drinking water from Lake Michigan for the communities of Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville, and a 2018 law to streamline the hiring of teachers at Illinois Youth Centers; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure, Rep. Wheeler was recognized by numerous organizations; he was the recipient of the Excellence in Advocacy Award from Marklund for his efforts on behalf of individuals and families of all ages with developmental disabilities and special healthcare needs, the ACTIVATOR (Friend of Agriculture) Award from the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Champion of Free Enterprise Award from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Champion of Innovation Award from TechNet, the 2020 Mayor's Award of Leadership from the City of Aurora, and the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler formerly served as board chairman of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Illinois Leadership Council of the National Federation of Independent Business, chairman of the Kendall County Food Pantry Board of Directors from 2008 to 2014, chairman of the National Federation of Independent Business Fox Valley Area Action Council for Small Business, treasurer of the Oswego Bears Youth Football and Cheer Pop Warner program, and as a trustee of Bristol Township; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler is a descendant of State Representative A.K. Wheeler from Kendall County, who served during the 19th Illinois General Assembly from 1855 to 1857 and played a pivotal role in the election of Lyman Trumbull to the U.S. Senate, who served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-wrote the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery in the United States in 1865; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wheeler is extraordinarily proud to be the husband of his loving and incredible wife, Lisa Linden Wheeler, and the father of their daughter, Ava, and his stepsons, Matthew and Chad; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Representative Keith Wheeler on his distinguished service as state representative of the 50th District and wish him all the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Wheeler as an expression of our esteem and respect.