Full Text of HR1046 102nd General Assembly
HR1046 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR1046 | | LRB102 30185 MST 42517 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, There are few members in the history of the | 3 | | Illinois General Assembly who have had as great an impact on | 4 | | the lives of millions of Illinois residents as House Majority | 5 | | Leader Greg Harris; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, While serving the residents of the 13th District | 7 | | over the course of the last 16 years in the Illinois General | 8 | | Assembly, Leader Harris has established a reputation as a | 9 | | respected and esteemed legislator, a trusted and honest | 10 | | negotiator, and a master policy expert who combines humility | 11 | | and civility with an unparalleled work ethic to achieve | 12 | | historic legislative initiatives; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Originally from Colorado, Leader Harris attended | 14 | | the University of Colorado at Boulder, earning a degree in | 15 | | journalism, and, after moving to Chicago, began his career in | 16 | | marketing and governmental relations at the National Home | 17 | | Furnishings Association; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, While the association left Chicago in 1988, | 19 | | Leader Harris stayed and co-founded Open Hands Chicago, an | 20 | | in-home meal delivery program targeting people living with HIV | 21 | | and AIDS, serving 41,476 meals in its first year of operation | 22 | | in 1989 and 750,000 meals by the end of 1994; and |
| | | HR1046 | - 2 - | LRB102 30185 MST 42517 r |
|
| 1 | | WHEREAS, Following his community involvement, Leader | 2 | | Harris served as the chief of staff to former 48th Ward | 3 | | Alderwoman Mary Ann Smith for 14 years, establishing strong | 4 | | relationships across the city and with social service agencies | 5 | | and managing various political campaigns in the city; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Upon his election to the Illinois House of | 7 | | Representatives in 2006, Leader Harris became the first openly | 8 | | gay man to succeed another openly gay man, the late | 9 | | Representative Larry McKeon, in the State legislature; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Leader Harris has taken his personal experiences | 11 | | as an openly gay man, an activist during the AIDS crisis, and a | 12 | | person living openly with HIV to fuel his policy agenda and | 13 | | raise the profile of human services issues, and while chairing | 14 | | the House Human Services and Appropriations-Human Services | 15 | | committees, he ensured that government worked to expand and | 16 | | enhance supports and services for those who need it the most; | 17 | | and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Leader Harris spearheaded marriage equality, | 19 | | advancing the issue for numerous terms until passing a bill | 20 | | was possible, spending a year folding roll calls in his jacket | 21 | | pocket to track his progress gathering support for the | 22 | | measure, and ultimately enshrining same-sex marriage in |
| | | HR1046 | - 3 - | LRB102 30185 MST 42517 r |
|
| 1 | | Illinois; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, When many of the human service providers with | 3 | | whom Leader Harris worked faced a crisis as a result of a | 4 | | protracted budget impasse, he assumed the role of lead budget | 5 | | negotiator for the House Democratic Caucus, ultimately helping | 6 | | to forge the bipartisan compromise that balanced the budget, | 7 | | restored funding for lifesaving services, and set Illinois | 8 | | back on the path to fiscal responsibility; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Leader Harris was elevated to Majority Leader in | 10 | | 2019, making history as the first openly gay legislative | 11 | | leader in the Illinois General Assembly, and during a landmark | 12 | | legislative session under his leadership, $45 billion was | 13 | | allocated toward rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges, | 14 | | draconian marijuana prohibition was ended, the minimum wage | 15 | | for Illinois working people was raised, and the right to | 16 | | choose was enshrined in law; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Leader Harris | 18 | | championed efforts to secure the medical care and vaccines all | 19 | | Illinoisans needed, while remaining a leading voice for | 20 | | extending financial relief to struggling small businesses; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Leader Harris maintains a wide variety of | 22 | | interests outside the General Assembly, including an abiding |
| | | HR1046 | - 4 - | LRB102 30185 MST 42517 r |
|
| 1 | | appreciation of bacon, watching little-seen science fiction | 2 | | movies, maintaining a unique collection of socks, raising | 3 | | awareness of days of recognition and celebration on social | 4 | | media, and acting as a human companion to Tip the Cat; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Leader Harris, who leaves the Illinois General | 6 | | Assembly with a void that will be impossible for a single | 7 | | individual to fill, is a well-known advocate for equality and | 8 | | fairness throughout the state, a treasured figure in his | 9 | | community and the City of Chicago, a respected colleague to | 10 | | members of the General Assembly on both sides of the aisle, a | 11 | | compassionate leader who embodies the spirit of public | 12 | | service, a voice for those who are often voiceless, and a | 13 | | dedicated and dear friend to many, and he leaves a legacy | 14 | | worthy of enduring remembrance; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, In his community and throughout Illinois, the | 16 | | lives of those whom he has befriended and represented and for | 17 | | whom he has been an advocate are fundamentally richer because | 18 | | of Leader Harris' compassion, his tireless work, and his | 19 | | everyday efforts to inspire joy in those around him; | 20 | | therefore, be it
| 21 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 22 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 23 | | we offer our profound thanks to House Majority Leader Greg |
| | | HR1046 | - 5 - | LRB102 30185 MST 42517 r |
|
| 1 | | Harris for his 16 years of dedicated service to the people of | 2 | | Illinois and congratulate him on his retirement from the | 3 | | Illinois House of Representatives; and be it further
| 4 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 5 | | presented to Leader Harris as an expression of our gratitude, | 6 | | respect, and best wishes.
|
|