HR1054 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1054 LRB102 30057 ECR 42258 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor our esteemed colleague, State Representative Michael J. Zalewski, for his 14 years as a state representative and thank him for his dedicated service to our State and to his community; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski was born in Chicago; he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, where he handled a variety of matters; he continues to serve as a professional attorney of counsel who focuses on municipal law and local governmental compliance; and

WHEREAS, Upon being elected in 2008, Rep. Zalewski established himself as a trusted negotiator, a policy expert, and a friend to all; he has never let partisanship get in the way of serving, and he has led and organized efforts with legislators from both sides of the aisle to establish solutions and resolve issues; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski, having served as chairman of the House Revenue and Finance Committee since 2017, is regarded as one of the foremost experts in the area of the State's revenue, budgeting, and tax policy; he has used his skills and abilities to help improve the lives of Illinoisans and to put the State of Illinois back on stronger financial footing; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the Illinois House, Rep. Zalewski negotiated some of the largest and most complex pieces of legislation, including the legalization of sports betting in Illinois, establishing the State as the second largest sports betting market in the United States, which has and continues to bring millions of dollars of needed revenue for Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski used his expertise in revenue and finance to provide needed tax relief for property tax owners, including negotiating and passing a tax relief package designed to save Illinois taxpayers nearly two billion dollars following the COVID-19 pandemic and record national inflation; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski's legislative accomplishments, while paramount for the State, pale in comparison to his roles as a loving husband to his wife, Carrie, father to his children, Reese, Henry, Mae, and Cecila, and son to his parents, Michael R. and Millie Zalewski; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski's interests outside the legislature include his culinary achievements in the kitchen, his savvy skills at utilizing social media to communicate, and his fascinating commentary as a Chicago sports fan, especially as a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Zalewski made the State of Illinois a better place to live and work; he set aside ego and partisanship to successfully navigate and negotiate complex issues, using humor and humility in his work, which will leave a lasting legacy throughout Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Representative Michael J. Zalewski on his retirement from the Illinois House of Representatives and offer our profound thanks for his 14 years of dedicated service to the people of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Zalewski as an expression of our esteem and respect.