SR0594 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0594 LRB103 35277 MST 65303 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Harriet Hausman, who passed away on November 7, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman was a lifetime resident of Illinois and a committed member of the Oak Park and River Forest Community; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman lived an exemplary life devoted to fairness, equality, and respect for human rights, long recognizing the role that each of us has in making those goals a reality in our lives and our community; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman was a prodigious writer, sharing her views in local papers on a range of issues, including racial equality, reproductive rights, voting rights and LGBTQ+ rights, publishing her final submission to the Wednesday Journal just days before her death; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman was an active member of the Oak Park Temple, where she regularly organized educational events that focused on the need for understanding, tolerance, and respect for the rights of others; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman was a longtime member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, having joined the ACLU as a high school student, and served as a longtime member of the board of directors for the organization; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman and her husband, Marty, showed a particular commitment to the principle of free speech after the ACLU defended the rights of neo-Nazis to march in Skokie in the 1970s, traveling to synagogues across the area to listen to and address the concerns of Jewish residents across Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Hausman continued throughout her life to inspire love, admiration, and dedication among the many who came to know and appreciate her unrelenting, unwavering commitment to building bridges and advancing basic rights; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Harriet Hausman and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we celebrate the life of Harriet Hausman and express gratitude for the many contributions she made to her community in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Harriet Hausman as an expression of our deepest sympathy.