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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate and thank Illinois State
4Representative Michael K. Smith for his 16 years of service on
5behalf of the people of the State of Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Representative Smith was first elected to the
7Illinois House of Representatives in 1994; he served as a
8tireless advocate for the 91st District in a variety of
9positions, including Chairman of the House Committee on
10Elementary and Secondary Education and the House Committee on
11Elementary and Secondary Education-Appropriations; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Representative Smith is one of the State's leading
13voices on education issues and improving the public school
14system, having brought back millions of dollars in school
15funding for local schools and community colleges; he also
16helped revamp State graduation standards and address the
17pressing issues of school safety and early childhood education;
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, Representative Smith has always been a strong
20voice for the working men and women of his district; during his
21tenure, he has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for
22job-creating infrastructure improvement projects in the heart

 

 

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1of Illinois, including vital work on Interstates 74 and 474 and
2the creation, expansion, and repair of many county, State, and
3U.S. highways throughout the 91st District; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Representative Smith has consistently defended
5consumers, having secured over one billion dollars in rate
6relief for electric ratepayers and championing new laws to
7fight identity theft; he also worked to educate his
8constituents on how they can better protect themselves against
9scam artists, and he served as a Citizen Advocate for the
10Illinois Attorney General before becoming a legislator; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Representative Smith has earned a reputation as a
12strong defender of local workers by supporting efforts to boost
13the local manufacturing industry and keep jobs in Central
14Illinois; he backed a tax fairness plan that would provide
15vital tax relief to middle-class families and pushed for
16policies that invest in new, cutting-edge alternative energy
17facilities; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Representative Smith has been identified as a
19leader in the fight against methamphetamine in downstate
20Illinois; he has sponsored one of the nation's toughest
21anti-meth laws; he also created tougher punishments for meth
22manufacturing and facilitated valuable interaction between
23constituents and members of law enforcement; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Representative Smith has worked hard to improve
2the quality of life for Illinois' senior citizens; he backed
3the creation of the Circuit Breaker/Pharmaceutical Assistance
4program and secured substantial property tax relief for older
5adults and disabled veterans; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Representative Smith has always voted with his
7district's values in mind; he is a staunch defender of the
8Second Amendment and has ensured that Central Illinois always
9received its fair share of State funding; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In addition to his chairmanship of the Elementary
11and Secondary Education Committee, Representative Smith served
12as a member of many committees during his tenure in the House,
13including the Environment and Energy, Financial Institutions,
14Fire Protection, Homeland Security, Personnel and Pensions,
15and State Government Administration committees; he previously
16served as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee; and
 
17    WHEREAS, As a full-time legislator, Representative Smith
18has served his constituents with distinction, often returning
19home to his district on session days in order to be with his
20wife, Donna, and attend community functions; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Representative Smith will be truly missed by his

 

 

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1colleagues, who widely regard him as one of the kindest and
2most thoughtful members of the General Assembly; therefore, be
3it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6congratulate and thank Illinois State Representative Michael
7K. Smith for his years of dedicated service; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to Representative Michael K. Smith as a token of our
10respect and esteem and with our best wishes for his future
11success.