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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate of the 103rd
3General Assembly of the State of Illinois learned with great
4sadness of the death of their colleague and friend, Senator
5Scott Michael Bennett, on December 9, 2022; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett was born on July 16, 1977 to Dr.
7Robert and Barbara Bennett in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where
8his father was stationed in the U.S. Army; when he was an
9infant, the family moved to Gibson City, where five
10generations of his family have worked on their family farm; he
11graduated from Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School in 1995
12and then studied history at Illinois State University,
13graduating in 1998; he then attended law school at the
14University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, graduating in 2002;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Though Senator Bennett could have pursued a
17high-paying career in corporate law, he returned to his roots
18and the central Illinois community he treasured, working as an
19assistant state's attorney in Bloomington-Normal and then in
20Champaign-Urbana; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett joined the Senate in 2015 as the
22unanimous choice to fill the vacancy created when Michael W.

 

 

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1Frerichs was sworn in as the Illinois State Treasurer after
2serving the 52nd District for eight years; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Immediately after his appointment to the Senate,
4Senator Bennett's first act as sitting state senator was to
5drive to Danville to meet with Vermilion County and Danville
6officials to discuss how they could work together to spur
7economic development in the region; and
 
8    WHEREAS, As the chair of the Senate's Higher Education
9Committee for the last two years, Senator Bennett fought to
10provide Illinois' students with the opportunity to be
11successful; he worked to secure resources for the University
12of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Parkland College, Danville Area
13Community College, and all of the State's higher education
14facilities by advocating for additional funding for need-based
15tuition assistance, lowering tuition costs and fees, and
16preventing licensing boards from denying and revoking or
17suspending individual professional licenses due to student
18loan default in Illinois; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett's love for his family farm was
20evident in the active role he played as the chair of the
21Agriculture Committee for two years; he even sought a
22commercial driver's license so he could haul grain in a
23semi-truck to the area grain elevator from his family's

 

 

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1centennial farm during harvest; he could be found returning
2calls, participating in weekly team meeting calls, negotiating
3legislation, and much more in the name of service to the
4constituents of the 52nd District while waiting for the truck
5to be loaded; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett's absence has left a big Scott
7Bennett-sized hole in our hearts forever; we can honor him by
8taking the time to find common ground, being kind to our
9neighbors, and doing our best to leave the world a brighter and
10more compassionate place; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett prioritized service above self
12and deeply cared for the 52nd State Senate District; however,
13his greatest love was for his family, his wife of 20 years,
14Stacy, and his children, Sam and Emma, who served as his rock
15and heart in every action he took; he would often forgo staying
16in Springfield after long session days to go home and be with
17his family; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett dedicated his life to public
19service and giving back to his community, particularly
20Champaign and Vermilion counties; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Senator Bennett believed in the spirit of
22bipartisanship and providing full representation for all

 

 

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1communities, whether they agreed with him or not, which led to
2him spending many hours driving between the Champaign-Urbana
3and the Danville area and throughout the 52nd Legislative
4District; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF
7REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate
8Interstate 74 east of US 45 in Champaign-Urbana to the Indiana
9border as the "Senator Scott M. Bennett Memorial Highway"; and
10be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
12is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with
13State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
14giving notice of the name "Senator Scott M. Bennett Memorial
15Highway"; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17presented to the family of Senator Bennett, his wife of 20
18years, former Senator Stacy Bennett, and his children, Sam and
19Emma, as an expression of our sincerest condolences for the
20loss of their loved one and our dear friend.