HR1345 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1345 LRB100 24336 MST 43649 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate State Representative and House Republican Floor Leader Peter Breen on his distinguished service to the 48th Legislative District and the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019 and served the body with honor and distinction; and

WHEREAS, The people of DuPage County were well-served by the leadership and bipartisanship of Rep. Breen during his two terms in the Illinois House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen graduated from Naperville North High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, finishing his B.E. in three years; he went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame; and

WHEREAS, Prior to taking his seat in the General Assembly, Rep. Breen served from 2011 to 2014 as a trustee and acting village president for the Village of Lombard; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his service in the General Assembly, Rep. Breen practices constitutional law and is employed as special counsel for the Thomas More Society, a not-for profit law firm specializing in defense of First Amendment rights; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen and his wife, Margie, are raising their two sons, Matthew and James, in Lombard; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in November of 2014 and took his oath of office in January of 2015; he was re-elected to the 48th District seat in November of 2016; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of his leadership and expertise, Rep. Breen was appointed to serve in February of 2017 on the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR), a bi-partisan, bi-cameral legislative oversight committee; and

WHEREAS, In further recognition of his leadership within the 51-member House Republican Caucus, Rep. Breen was elevated to the position of House Republican Floor Leader in July of 2017, where he served the caucus as the lead debater on bills brought to the House floor for discussion and debate; and

WHEREAS, During his four years in the Illinois House of Representatives, Rep. Breen served on several influential House Committees, including the Energy, Financial Institutions, Judiciary-Civil, Labor & Commerce, Public Utilities, Restorative Justice, Consumer Protection, Economic Development & Housing, and Insurance Committees; he also served on the Workers' Compensation, Tort Liability Law, Real & Personal Property Law, and Civil Process Subcommittees; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen always promoted honest dialogue regarding all points of view on legislative issues and has been a fierce advocate of balanced budgets and responsible spending; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen was respected for his unwavering support of rights for unborn children; and

WHEREAS, Over the last four years, Rep. Breen ushered 32 bills into law as the chief sponsor and championed dozens of other bills that became laws as a chief co-sponsor or sponsor; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen was the chief sponsor of Public Act 100-0186, an electronic document filing bill that will save small businesses and non-profits millions in filing fees; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen also authored Public Act 99-0646, the Local Government Wage Increase Transparency Act, which seeks to put an end to pension spiking at the local level; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen showed a commitment to public safety by serving as the chief Republican negotiator of bipartisan legislation signed into law as Public Act 100-0607, which provides a procedure for family members or law enforcement to petition for an emergency restraining order to prohibit a dangerous person from possessing firearms; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen worked with suburban families with autistic children who attend Lombard's Soaring Eagle Academy and passed legislation signed into law as Public Act 100-0667, which allows the Soaring Eagle Academy to transport its K-8 students to off-site locations for learning opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Breen has been honored with a multitude of awards and recognitions during his time in the General Assembly, including the Guardian of Small Business Award from the Illinois branch of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Perfect Scorecard for Environmental Stewardship Award from the Illinois Environmental Council, the Champion of Free Enterprise Award from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the TMA Perfect Score Award from the Illinois Technology & Manufacturing Association, and the Friend of Manufacturing Award from the Illinois Manufacturers' Association; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate State Representative Peter Breen on making a positive difference in the lives of the people he represented in the 48th District, DuPage County, and across Illinois, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Rep. Breen, his wife, Margie, and their sons, as an expression of our esteem and respect for our colleague and friend.