Full Text of HR1037 102nd General Assembly
HR1037 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR1037 | | LRB102 30064 MST 42265 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Senator | 4 | | Scott Bennett, who passed away on December 9, 2022; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett was born to Dr. Robert and Barbara | 6 | | Bennett in Fort Campbell, Kentucky on July 16, 1977; he moved | 7 | | with his family as an infant to Gibson City, where five | 8 | | generations of his family have worked on their family farm; he | 9 | | graduated from Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School in 1995; | 10 | | following, he studied history at Illinois State University and | 11 | | graduated in 1998; he then studied law at the University of | 12 | | Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated in 2002 with a | 13 | | Juris Doctor; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett began his career in law and politics | 15 | | in 1999 when he earned an internship at the White House and | 16 | | served the Clinton Administration in the Office of | 17 | | Presidential Gifts; he served as a prosecutor with the City of | 18 | | Chicago and returned to central Illinois to work as an | 19 | | assistant state's attorney in Bloomington-Normal and later as | 20 | | an assistant state's attorney in Champaign-Urbana; some of his | 21 | | most important work was dedicated to seeking justice for child | 22 | | victims of crime; and |
| | | HR1037 | - 2 - | LRB102 30064 MST 42265 r |
|
| 1 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett was appointed to fill Michael | 2 | | Frerichs' vacant state senate seat in 2015; he was known to | 3 | | rise above partisanship to find common ground for the good of | 4 | | Illinois; he was a tireless advocate for measures to protect | 5 | | the environment, agriculture in Illinois, and the quality of | 6 | | life for the most vulnerable in the State of Illinois; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett served as the chairman of the Higher | 8 | | Education Committee; he served as the vice chairman of the | 9 | | Judiciary Committee and State Government Committee; he served | 10 | | as the sub-chairman of the Judiciary, Appropriations for | 11 | | Higher Education, Redistricting for East Central and Southeast | 12 | | Illinois, Judiciary-Privacy, and Unemployment Insurance | 13 | | Committees; he served as the sub-vice-chairman for the | 14 | | Redistricting of West Central Illinois and Judiciary-Business | 15 | | Entities Committees; he served as a member of the Agriculture | 16 | | Committee, the Executive Appointments Committee, Redistricting | 17 | | Committee, and Redistricting Southern Illinois Committee; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett instituted protections to keep | 19 | | drinking water in the Mahomet Aquifer safe; he promoted | 20 | | compassionate courtrooms, including authorizing the use of | 21 | | comfort dogs; he worked with Treasurer Michael Frerichs to | 22 | | create the ABLE Act, which helped cover expenses for persons | 23 | | with disabilities; he fought to increase college affordability | 24 | | and worked to support the University of Illinois, Parkland |
| | | HR1037 | - 3 - | LRB102 30064 MST 42265 r |
|
| 1 | | College, and Danville Community College; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett was dedicated to the people of his | 3 | | district; he would always make time to hear of their troubles | 4 | | and work towards solutions within and without the State | 5 | | legislature; he was known for checking on his constituents to | 6 | | ask how they were doing and if there was anything he could do | 7 | | to help; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett was a beloved family man and was | 9 | | known for his humor and quick wit; he was a genuine and caring | 10 | | person with friends, family, constituents, and colleagues from | 11 | | his own party and across the aisle; he could bring a smile to | 12 | | anyone's face and create a space for connection with a laugh; | 13 | | and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett always found time to take care of | 15 | | his family and to work on his family's centennial farm; he was | 16 | | proud to obtain a commercial driver's license so he could haul | 17 | | grain in a semi-truck to the area grain elevator; he took time | 18 | | to call constituents while waiting for the truck to be loaded | 19 | | to ask about their day; he loved being a part of the farming | 20 | | community of Illinois; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett final act of service was to his | 22 | | beloved family; he safely drove his family home from the |
| | | HR1037 | - 4 - | LRB102 30064 MST 42265 r |
|
| 1 | | airport after a family trip, tucked his children into bed, and | 2 | | kissed his wife goodnight; he was found unresponsive in bed | 3 | | the next morning due to an undiagnosed brain tumor and was | 4 | | taken to the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett was preceded in death by his | 6 | | grandmother, Charlene Bennett; his grandmother, Marge Barry; | 7 | | his grandfather, Lee Barry; his uncle, Dennis Barry; his | 8 | | cousin, Crystal Barry; and his mother-in-law, Mardelle | 9 | | Meredith; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Sen. Bennett is survived by his wife of 20 years, | 11 | | Stacy Bennett; his children, Sam and Emma; his parents, Dr. | 12 | | Robert and Barbara Bennett; his brother, Rob Bennett; his | 13 | | sister-in-law, Mabruka Yazidi; his niece, Naimi | 14 | | Yazidi-Bennett; his uncles, Rep. Tom Bennett and Doug Bennett; | 15 | | his aunt, Carol Bennett-Barker; his aunt, Wanda Driscoll; his | 16 | | aunt, Carol Sanecki; his father-in-law, Bill Meredith; many | 17 | | cousins and friends; and his dog, Betty White; therefore, be | 18 | | it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 20 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 21 | | we mourn the passing of Senator Scott Bennett and extend our | 22 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 23 | | and loved him; and be it further
|
| | | HR1037 | - 5 - | LRB102 30064 MST 42265 r |
|
| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to the family of Sen. Bennett as an expression of our | 3 | | deepest sympathy.
|
|