Full Text of SR0982 95th General Assembly
SR0982 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, William E. Peterson has represented the citizens | 3 |
| of Lake County and northeastern Illinois with distinction in | 4 |
| the General Assembly for more than 26 years; and
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| WHEREAS, He has served with honor in the Senate since 1993, | 6 |
| after five terms in the House of Representatives; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Peterson's priorities have always been | 8 |
| those of the people he represents, local government, education, | 9 |
| business development and job creation, and lower taxes; and
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| WHEREAS, He became a lawmaker to make the State of Illinois | 11 |
| a better place to live, bringing State government from the | 12 |
| marble halls of the Capitol back home to the communities of | 13 |
| northeastern Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, His deep concern for veterans and our armed forces | 15 |
| led him to sponsor numerous measures to assist Illinois | 16 |
| veterans, including the "Let Them Rest in Peace Act"; and
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| WHEREAS, His concern for education and child safety | 18 |
| prompted him to sponsor measures to assist and protect | 19 |
| children, including the requirement that buses have safety arms | 20 |
| on the front bumper, the Round Lake Unit District 116 School |
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| Finance Authority legislation, and legislation that would | 2 |
| spotlight outstanding teachers and provide the best | 3 |
| educational support for students; and
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| WHEREAS, He has sponsored laws helping senior citizens, | 5 |
| including expanding the Circuit Breaker program; and
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| WHEREAS, He has always recognized the need to balance the | 7 |
| best interests of the public and the conflicting views of all | 8 |
| parties, as seen in his sponsorship of legislation that started | 9 |
| early voting in Illinois, so everyone is given ample | 10 |
| opportunity to vote; and
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| WHEREAS, He has always been a strong supporter of open | 12 |
| spaces, making sure that the residents of his district for | 13 |
| generations to come would have the opportunity to enjoy open | 14 |
| space, forest preserves and recreational areas; and
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| WHEREAS, He served as Chairman of the Senate Revenue | 16 |
| Committee from 1995 through 2002, helping to guide sound fiscal | 17 |
| public policy that impacted everyone in Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, He was selected to serve as Assistant Senate | 19 |
| Republican Leader in 2003; and
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| WHEREAS, He most recently served as Republican Spokesman of |
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| the Senate Housing and Community Affairs Committee, as a member | 2 |
| of the Senate Insurance Committee, the Senate Licensed | 3 |
| Activities Committee, the Senate Local Government Committee, | 4 |
| the Senate State Government and Veterans Committee, and the | 5 |
| Legislative Ethics Commission; and
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| WHEREAS, A number of local and State organizations have | 7 |
| honored William Peterson for his efforts in the General | 8 |
| Assembly, including the Illinois Education Association, the | 9 |
| Illinois School Board Association, the Illinois Chamber of | 10 |
| Commerce, the Illinois Park District Association, the Township | 11 |
| Officials of Illinois, the Northern Illinois Council on Alcohol | 12 |
| and Substance Abuse, the Omni Youth Services, and the Illinois | 13 |
| Environmental Council; and
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| WHEREAS, William Peterson has been involved in local civic | 15 |
| and educational organizations, including the Long Grove Lions | 16 |
| Club, numerous local Chambers of Commerce, and the Stevenson | 17 |
| High School Band Parents' Organization; and
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| WHEREAS, He has served on the College of Lake County | 19 |
| Advisory Board, the Omni Youth Services Board of Ambassadors, | 20 |
| the United Way of Lake County Board, the NICASA Advisory Board, | 21 |
| and the First Colonial Bank of Vernon Hills Board; and
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| WHEREAS, He is a member of the Citizens for Conservation, |
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| the Friends of Ryerson Woods, the Friends of the Vernon Area | 2 |
| Library, the Illinois Historical Society, and the Township | 3 |
| Officials of Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, He earned a bachelor's degree in history from | 5 |
| North Park University and a master's degree in education from | 6 |
| Northern Illinois University, and did post-graduate studies at | 7 |
| Loyola University of Chicago; and
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| WHEREAS, He is a former teacher and served as an elementary | 9 |
| school principal at Northbrook and Highland Park School | 10 |
| Districts; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a school board member for Elmwood Park Unit | 12 |
| District 401; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a Vernon Township Trustee from 1973 through | 14 |
| 1977, and has served as Vernon Township Supervisor since 1977; | 15 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, He served in the United States Army and United | 17 |
| States Army Reserves, earning the rank of Sergeant; and
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| WHEREAS, Bill and his wife, Patricia, have been married | 19 |
| since 1958, and have three children and five grandchildren; and
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| WHEREAS, In his more than 26 years as a lawmaker, William | 2 |
| Peterson has represented his constituents in Springfield with | 3 |
| determination and class, earning the respect and admiration of | 4 |
| his colleagues on both sides of the aisle; and
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| WHEREAS, Legislators and staff alike know and appreciate | 6 |
| Senator Peterson for his warmth, his kindness, and his easy | 7 |
| smile; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 9 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate William | 10 |
| Peterson on his retirement from the Illinois General Assembly | 11 |
| after more than 26 years of honorable and dedicated service; | 12 |
| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and | 14 |
| resolution be presented to William Peterson with our | 15 |
| friendship, our gratitude for his hard work, and our best | 16 |
| wishes for his future endeavors.
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