SR0716 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0716 LRB093 23911 RAS 53992 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois would like to congratulate State Senator Barack H. Obama, who was elected to represent the State of Illinois in the United States Senate on November 2, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Barack Obama was born August 4, 1961 in Hawaii and grew up in Indonesia; and

WHEREAS, Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science and a specialty in international relations; he worked as a community organizer in some of Chicago's toughest neighborhoods, helping church groups create job-training programs, reform area schools, and improve city services; he went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude and served as the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review; and

WHEREAS, After law school, Obama organized one of the largest voter registration drives in Chicago history to help Bill Clinton's election and worked as a civil rights lawyer on cutting edge voting rights and employment discrimination cases in federal and State courts; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure in the Illinois State Senate, Obama represented Illinois' 13th Senate District on Chicago's South Side; recognized for his innovative, effective leadership, Obama was Chairman of the powerful Health and Human Services Committee; he also served on the Judiciary and Revenue Committees; the Chicago Tribune has called him "one of the General Assembly's most impressive members"; and

WHEREAS, Obama was mentored by his "political godfather", Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., and inspired by his colleagues in the Illinois Senate and public officials across the State; and

WHEREAS, Obama passed laws extending health coverage to children and families without insurance, co-sponsored legislation establishing a prescription drug discount for seniors, passed legislation requiring a hospital report card that makes hospitals more accountable to consumers, championed increased funding for AIDS prevention and other public health initiatives, and sponsored legislation to expand access to affordable health care; and

WHEREAS, In the wake of a series of shocking exonerations of innocent persons on death row, Obama drafted and passed landmark legislation requiring the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases and was chief co-sponsor of comprehensive reform of the death penalty system in Illinois; he has been a leader in reforming the juvenile justice system to keep more young people in school and out of prison and has fought to increase penalties for domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, As a senior lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School, Obama has been a leading voice in the Senate in protecting a woman's right to reproductive freedom; he passed model legislation designed to curb the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Working with former United States Senator Paul Simon, Obama was a chief architect and sponsor of the first State campaign finance reform legislation in 25 years and has helped toughen rules governing government contracting and procurement; and

WHEREAS, Obama was a community organizer in Chicago in the Roseland and Altgeld Gardens neighborhoods and in New York in Harlem, promoting education and better housing; Obama has served on the boards of some of Chicago's leading foundations and chaired the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a $50 million philanthropic effort to reform the public schools; and

WHEREAS, Barack Obama has spent a lifetime fighting effectively to empower working families and the poor - as community organizer, civil rights attorney, and a leader in the Illinois Senate; he has brought new ideas and approaches in pursuit of traditional Democratic ideals to make a real difference for people -- from better schools to affordable health care to criminal justice reform; and

WHEREAS, Barack Obama is very devoted to church and family; he is a longtime member of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, which is pastored by Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright; he enjoys the continued support of his wife, Michelle (Robinson), and his daughters, Malia and Sasha; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we would like to congratulate Barack H. Obama on his election to the U.S. Senate and wish him well in all of his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to United States Senator-elect Barack H. Obama as a token of our respect and esteem.