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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Senator Carole Pankau has represented the
3citizens of DuPage County, Illinois, with distinction in the
4General Assembly for 20 years; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has served with honor in the Senate
6since 2005, after 6 terms in the House of Representatives; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau's priorities have always been
8those of the people she represents, and she has served as an
9advocate for taxpayers, families, and seniors; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau became a lawmaker to make the State
11of Illinois a better place to live, bringing State government
12from the marble halls of the Capitol back home to the
13communities of DuPage County; and
 
14    WHEREAS, During her time in Springfield, Senator Pankau has
15fought for common-sense fiscal policy changes within the
16State's Medicaid program and served on Medicaid task forces
17geared toward ending the State's backlog of Medicaid bills
18while cutting fraud and waste; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has sponsored laws providing
20transparency for State contracts and ease of public access

 

 

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1through State websites; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has always fought for the rights of
3Illinois' senior citizens through sponsorship of
4senior-related bills ranging from legislation that eased
5banking transactions to property tax assistance for seniors;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has served as Republican
8Spokesperson for the Senate Commerce Committee, helping to
9guide public policy that impacted small businesses, business
10competitiveness and innovation, and consumer protection; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau was selected to serve as Senate
12Republican Whip from 2009 to 2011; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau also served as a member of the
14Senate Energy Committee, the Senate Environment Committee, the
15Senate Public Health Committee, the Senate State Government and
16Veterans' Affairs Committee, co-chair of the Legislative
17Printing Unit Board, a member of the Deficit Reduction
18Committee, the Local Government Consolidation Commission, the
19Legislative Research Unit Board, the Commission to the
20Elimination of Poverty, and the Obesity Prevention Initiative;
21and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has served as the co-chair of the
2Conference of Women Legislators; and
 
3    WHEREAS, A number of local and State organizations have
4honored Senator Pankau for her efforts in the General Assembly,
5including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Farm
6Bureau, the Suburban Mayors Action Coalition, the Management
7Association of Illinois, the Illinois Federation for Right to
8Life Inc., the Illinois Coalition for Competitive
9Telecommunications, the National Federation of Independent
10Business, the Illinois Association for Marriage and Family
11Therapy, the Illinois Mechanical & Specialty Contractors'
12Association, the American Cancer Society, the Respiratory
13Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, Lutheran Child &
14Family Services of Illinois, the Coalition for Comprehensive
15Telecommunications, the Illinois Optometric Association, the
16Employment Law Council of Illinois, A.B.A.T.E, the Illinois
17Association of Park Districts, the DuPage County Farm Bureau,
18the Village of Schaumburg, DeVry University, the Life Services
19Network, and the R.Ed.I. Arts and Education Foundation; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has been involved in many civic
21organizations, including the Bloomingdale Republican Women's
22Club, the Illinois Federation of Republican Women, the National
23Order of Women Legislators, the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, Purdue
24University, the Bank of Itasca Business Advisory Board, and the

 

 

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1First Suburban National Bank Business Advisory Board; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has been involved in local Chambers
3of Commerce, including Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream,
4Elmhurst, Glendale Heights, Lombard, Roselle, Villa Park,
5Wheaton, Winfield, and Wood Dale; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau served as a DuPage County Board
7member for 8 years; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau served as a Keeneyville School
9District 20 Board member for 8 years; and
 
10    WHEREAS, For 18 years, Senator Pankau served as a
11Bloomingdale Township Republican Organization Precinct 51
12Committeeman; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau served on the DuPage County Board
14of Health for 4 years and the DuPage Housing Authority for 4
15years; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has served on the Historic
17Preservation Commission since 2006; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Since 1992, Senator Pankau has hosted the "In
19Focus" cable TV Program; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau spent 18 years as a small-business
2owner and manager; in 1976, Senator Pankau, together with her
3husband, John, opened Bloomingdale Carriage Shop and Aaron's
4Towing; during difficult times, Senator Pankau often climbed
5into the driver's seat and drove the tow trucks herself; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau was born August 13, 1947, in
7Valparaiso, Indiana; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau earned a bachelor's of science
9degree in accounting from the University of Illinois; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Senator Pankau and her husband, John, have been
11married since 1966 and have 4 children and 11 grandchildren;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, In her 20 years as a lawmaker, Senator Pankau has
14represented her constituents in Springfield with determination
15and class, earning the respect and admiration of her colleagues
16on both sides of the aisle; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Lawmakers and staff alike know and appreciate
18Senator Pankau for her energy, boundless enthusiasm for
19community service, and her easy-going, cheerful nature;
20therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
2ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Senator
3Carole Pankau on her retirement from the Illinois General
4Assembly after 20 years of honorable and dedicated service; and
5be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Senator Pankau with our friendship, our gratitude
8for her hard work, and our best wishes for her future
9endeavors.