SJ0032 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0032 LRB103 31670 MST 60161 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate of the 103rd General Assembly of the State of Illinois learned with great sadness of the death of their colleague and friend, Senator Scott Michael Bennett, on December 9, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett was born on July 16, 1977 to Dr. Robert and Barbara Bennett in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where his father was stationed in the U.S. Army; when he was an infant, the family moved to Gibson City, where five generations of his family have worked on their family farm; he graduated from Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School in 1995 and then studied history at Illinois State University, graduating in 1998; he then attended law school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, graduating in 2002; and

WHEREAS, Though Senator Bennett could have pursued a high-paying career in corporate law, he returned to his roots and the central Illinois community he treasured, working as an assistant state's attorney in Bloomington-Normal and then in Champaign-Urbana; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett joined the Senate in 2015 as the unanimous choice to fill the vacancy created when Michael W. Frerichs was sworn in as the Illinois State Treasurer after serving the 52nd District for eight years; and

WHEREAS, Immediately after his appointment to the Senate, Senator Bennett's first act as sitting state senator was to drive to Danville to meet with Vermilion County and Danville officials to discuss how they could work together to spur economic development in the region; and

WHEREAS, As the chair of the Senate's Higher Education Committee for the last two years, Senator Bennett fought to provide Illinois' students with the opportunity to be successful; he worked to secure resources for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Parkland College, Danville Area Community College, and all of the State's higher education facilities by advocating for additional funding for need-based tuition assistance, lowering tuition costs and fees, and preventing licensing boards from denying and revoking or suspending individual professional licenses due to student loan default in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett's love for his family farm was evident in the active role he played as the chair of the Agriculture Committee for two years; he even sought a commercial driver's license so he could haul grain in a semi-truck to the area grain elevator from his family's centennial farm during harvest; he could be found returning calls, participating in weekly team meeting calls, negotiating legislation, and much more in the name of service to the constituents of the 52nd District while waiting for the truck to be loaded; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett's absence has left a big Scott Bennett-sized hole in our hearts forever; we can honor him by taking the time to find common ground, being kind to our neighbors, and doing our best to leave the world a brighter and more compassionate place; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett prioritized service above self and deeply cared for the 52nd State Senate District; however, his greatest love was for his family, his wife of 20 years, Stacy, and his children, Sam and Emma, who served as his rock and heart in every action he took; he would often forgo staying in Springfield after long session days to go home and be with his family; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett dedicated his life to public service and giving back to his community, particularly Champaign and Vermilion counties; and

WHEREAS, Senator Bennett believed in the spirit of bipartisanship and providing full representation for all communities, whether they agreed with him or not, which led to him spending many hours driving between the Champaign-Urbana and the Danville area and throughout the 52nd Legislative District; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Interstate 74 east of US 45 in Champaign-Urbana to the Indiana border as the "Senator Scott M. Bennett Memorial Highway"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name "Senator Scott M. Bennett Memorial Highway"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Senator Bennett, his wife of 20 years, former Senator Stacy Bennett, and his children, Sam and Emma, as an expression of our sincerest condolences for the loss of their loved one and our dear friend.