HR1646 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1646 LRB095 23125 GRL 53768 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor the life and legacy of the late United States Senator Paul Simon on the occasion of the 80th year of his birth in November of 2008; and

WHEREAS, Paul Simon was born on November 28, 1928 in Eugene, Oregon; at the age of nineteen, he moved to Troy and purchased the "Troy Call" newspaper, becoming the youngest newspaper editor/publisher in the nation; building on his success, he built a chain of fourteen weekly newspapers; and

WHEREAS, Paul Simon served the people of the State of Illinois with pride and distinction in the General Assembly as a State Representative from 1955 to 1962 and as a State Senator from 1963 to 1968; during his tenure, he gained national recognition and respect as both a forthright journalist and as an "independent" elected State official; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, Paul Simon was elected to serve as the 39th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois with Republican Governor Richard B. Ogilvie; the pair's bipartisan administration produced the State's first income tax and paved the way for the State's fourth constitutional convention, which created the fourth and current constitution; and

WHEREAS, In 1974, Paul Simon ran for the open seat in the Illinois 24th Congressional District, winning the election; he went on to serve the heart of Southern Illinois in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 until 1985; and

WHEREAS, In 1984, Paul Simon won the United States Senate seat, where he vigorously campaigned to save the National Direct Student Loan Program; he was also well known for working across party lines, joining Senator Orrin Hatch in co-authoring the Balanced Budget Amendment in 1996; he served in the United States Senate until 1997; and

WHEREAS, In 1988, Paul Simon decided to run for the office of United States President; Simon won the Illinois State primary on the top of the ticket; however, he suspended his campaign later that year, without any regrets, claiming the race had been an "exhilarating experience" in getting to know our nation better; and

WHEREAS, Paul Simon was the author or co-author of some 20 books, with topics ranging from important issues such as global water resource concerns to his last work, titled "52 Simple Ways To Make A Difference", which was published after his death; his last book simply stated his long held belief that "ordinary people doing small things can make a big difference"; and

WHEREAS, Paul Simon's honesty, integrity, and compassion serve as models of living for the citizens and public servants of this State, the nation, and the world at large; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the life and legacy of the late United States Senator Paul Simon on the occasion of the 80th year of his birth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the U.S. Senator Paul Simon Museum in Troy as a symbol of our esteem and respect for this great public servant.