HR0490 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0490 LRB095 12344 KXB 37263 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are happy to call Springfield home for several months each year; Springfield is the home to many attractions and special points of interest that draw people here from around the world; and

WHEREAS, Twentieth Century Fox is conducting a competition to determine which Springfield will hold the premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" in July of 2007; and

WHEREAS, There are uncanny similarities between the fictional Springfield of "The Simpsons" and the Capital City of Springfield, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln is the favorite son of Springfield, Illinois and Jebediah Springfield is the founder of the Simpsons' Springfield; there is a statue of each displayed in the center of his respective Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Todd Renfrow, general manager of Springfield's City Water, Light and Power bears a remarkable likeness to Montgomery Burns, owner of the nuclear power plant where Homer Simpson works; and

WHEREAS, Montgomery Burns once ran for political office and kicked off his campaign from Springfield's Lincoln Depot; in the same manner, President-elect Abraham Lincoln bade farewell to Springfield from the Great Western Depot, currently known as Lincoln Depot; and

WHEREAS, Both Springfields are in close proximity to a town named Shelbyville; and

WHEREAS, The Simpsons live at 742 Evergreen Terrace and Springfield, Illinois has a housing development that was formerly named Evergreen Terrace; and

WHEREAS, Both Springfields have a newspaper called the Springfield Shopper; and

WHEREAS, The band Aerosmith has performed in both Springfields; in that episode, Steven Tyler yells out, "Hello, St. Louis" and then is corrected; St. Louis is, of course, just 90 miles from Springfield; later in the episode, Tyler falls into the crowd; on July 13, 1984, Aerosmith played a concert in Springfield, Illinois, and Steven Tyler collapsed face first into the audience; and

WHEREAS, The Simpsons' Springfield has a Springfield Memorial Hospital and Springfield, Illinois has a Memorial Medical Center; and

WHEREAS, In one episode, Lisa Simpson was living in a redwood tree she was attempting to save from destruction; as she climbed to the top of the tree, the camera panned to the view from the tree and the Gateway Memorial Arch in St. Louis, Missouri was in the distance; the Arch is just 90 miles from Springfield, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Simpsons' Springfield is known for a mount of continually burning tires; Springfield, Illinois recently discovered a garbage dump burning on the southside that has shown no signs of extinguishing itself; and

WHEREAS, Each of the Springfields have a medical library, university, Catholic hospital, bartender named Moe, zoo, botanical garden, water park, armory, Christian Science Reading Room, a donut connection, bus depot, train station, House of Pancakes, and drive-in theater; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Twentieth Century Fox, as well as Simpsons creator Matt Groening, to hold the world premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" in Springfield, Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Matt Groening, and those involved with the decision-making process as it relates to the location of the world premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" as a symbol of the State of Illinois' commitment to bringing the premiere to Springfield, Illinois.