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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The appalling rise of hate speech and
3anti-Semitism across the country calls on all who value
4diversity, respect, and civility as the heart of a functioning
5democracy to stand united against bigotry and hate of all
6kinds; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Illinois Family Action distributed multiple
8anti-Semitic, homophobic, threatening, and hateful posts on
9their official social media page, callously belittling the most
10appalling tragedies of the Holocaust and recklessly comparing
11those who disagree with their extreme agenda to Nazis; and
 
12    WHEREAS, There was a 37% increase in anti-Jewish incidents
13reported to the FBI between 2016-2017; and
 
14    WHEREAS, There were 1,564 religious-based incidents
15reported to the FBI in 2017, the second highest level since
16statistics have been gathered; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 2004, a deadly shooting at our capitol building
18led to changes to the security procedures in the Capitol
19Complex; and
 
20    WHEREAS, A lobby day sponsored by Illinois Family Action in

 

 

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1March 2019 overtaxed Capitol security, resulting in at least
2three members requiring State Police escorts and multiple calls
3for assistance from Capitol Police by members and legislative
4aides; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Southern Poverty Law Center has frequently
6cited the Illinois Family Institute and Illinois Family Action
7in their monitoring of hate groups; and
 
8    WHEREAS, A group truly driven by faith would realize the
9pain their rhetoric causes for members of the Jewish community,
10for whom the horrors of Nazi Germany are all too real; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Our legislative body must rise together against
12this bigoted language collectively and refuse to accept it as
13the new normal; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
16SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we, along with the Jewish Caucus
17and allied legislators, condemn the extreme rhetoric of
18Illinois Family Action, call for a formal investigation into
19the group's hate speech and threats, and ask that the Secretary
20of State's office suspend the lobbying credentials of any
21individual working on behalf of Illinois Family Action or its
22parent organization, the Illinois Family Institute, until an

 

 

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1investigation is complete; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That we call for a review of security procedures
3in the Capitol Complex, including, but not limited to, the
4Secretary of State and the Illinois State Police, with the goal
5of review and implementation of needed updates; and be it
6further
 
7    RESOLVED, That we stand in solidarity against hateful,
8racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic rhetoric of all kinds and
9call for decent, respectful debate, especially when we
10disagree; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12delivered to the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the
13Director of State Police.