Full Text of HR0347 97th General Assembly
HR0347 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are pleased to recognize State Representative | 4 | | William Burns for his service and hard work on behalf of the | 5 | | people of the State of Illinois; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns was raised in Warrensville | 7 | | Heights, an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio; he moved to | 8 | | Chicago to attend the University of Chicago, where he received | 9 | | his bachelor's and master's degrees; in 2001 he was named an | 10 | | American Marshall Memorial Fellow of the German Marshall Fund | 11 | | of the United States; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns served as Education and Tax | 13 | | Policy Manager for the Metropolitan Planning Council, where he | 14 | | organized a statewide education funding reform coalition and | 15 | | directed its legislative and communication campaign; he later | 16 | | joined the Chicago Urban League, serving as Vice President of | 17 | | Program and Field Offices, where he spearheaded the League's | 18 | | voting rights and redistricting efforts, managed the | 19 | | day-to-day programmatic activities, and coordinated the | 20 | | League's public policy initiatives; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, After concluding his service with the Chicago | 22 | | Urban League, Representative Burns joined the staff of Senate |
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| 1 | | President Emil Jones, Jr., working his way up to Deputy Chief | 2 | | of Staff and Senior Advisor; he developed legislation on issues | 3 | | including criminal justice, consumer protection, education, | 4 | | minority business development, and ethics reform; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns played a role in the early | 6 | | public service career of former State Senator and now President | 7 | | of the United States Barack Obama, serving as a volunteer on | 8 | | President Obama's first State Senate campaign and as Deputy | 9 | | Campaign Manager for Obama for Congress 2000; his experience as | 10 | | a political organizer also includes service as a campaign | 11 | | coordinator for the Democratic Party of Illinois; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns was elected to the House of | 13 | | Representatives in 2008 and he is currently serving his second | 14 | | term; although Representative Burns' tenure with the Illinois | 15 | | House of Representatives has been short, his hard work and | 16 | | dedication have been invaluable to his constituents and to all | 17 | | the people of Illinois; he has developed a reputation as a | 18 | | hardworking, ethical, thoughtful, and intelligent legislator | 19 | | who puts the needs of the people first; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Government reforms have been a hallmark of | 21 | | Representative Burns' legislative agenda, as he sponsored | 22 | | measures to reform the State's procurement code, pensions, | 23 | | campaign finance laws, and Freedom of Information Act, thus |
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| 1 | | improving government transparency and accountability; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, In his efforts to help eliminate gun violence, | 3 | | Representative Burns has pushed for tougher laws on gun | 4 | | ownership, purchasing and transfers, limitations on the types | 5 | | of weapons that should be allowed for sale, and laws to help | 6 | | stop gun trafficking and illegal straw purchasing; he has | 7 | | championed additional funding for anti-violence and | 8 | | after-school programs that help provide alternatives to crime | 9 | | and violence; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns believes that in order for | 11 | | young people to compete in a global economy, they must have a | 12 | | quality education; he sponsored legislation to improve | 13 | | Illinois' education system, including measures to provide | 14 | | additional funding for local schools, reduced class sizes, and | 15 | | improved early education programs; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns maintains a strong | 17 | | commitment to social justice and civic engagement; he has | 18 | | served on the boards of non-profit organizations, including the | 19 | | Lugenia Burns Hope Center, Mikva Challenge, Sargent Shriver | 20 | | National Center on Poverty Law, the Center for Tax and Budget | 21 | | Accountability, the Blue Gargoyle Youth Service Center, and the | 22 | | South East Chicago Commission; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns is devoted to his wife, | 2 | | Robin, and to their daughter, Athena; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Representative Burns was recently elected | 4 | | Alderman of Chicago's 4th Ward, a role that will allow him to | 5 | | continue to advocate for the people; therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 7 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 8 | | we congratulate Representative Will Burns on his ascension to | 9 | | the Chicago City Council after his retirement from the Illinois | 10 | | House of Representatives; we wish him the best as he begins his | 11 | | new journey of public service; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 13 | | presented to Representative Burns as a symbol of our respect | 14 | | and esteem.
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