HR1514 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1514 LRB096 24451 GRL 44171 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor our friend and colleague, Illinois State Representative David Miller, for his service to the people of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his 17 years of practicing dentistry, Representative Miller has integrated community activities and dental health; in an effort to fulfill his desire of giving back to his community, he established a Chicago dental office to treat the underserved population of children, who are the majority of his patients; he has also been an instrumental part of numerous on-site dental screening programs in the Chicagoland area to benefit children; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure as an Illinois State Representative, David Miller has consistently fought for his constituency and the people of this State; he was instrumental in reforming the payday loan industry in the State, having devised a plan that protects consumers and allows lenders to provide short-term loans; he was the chief sponsor of the Payday Loan Reform Act, which establishes loan limits based on income and outstanding debt; during the 94th General Assembly, he advocated for House Bill 1058, which allows identity theft victims to make a written request to credit reporting agencies to initiate a freeze on an account, and supported House Bill 1633, which requires data collection companies to notify Illinois residents in the event of a security breach that compromises sensitive personal information; and

WHEREAS, Representative Miller has worked tirelessly to increase funding for schools in his district; believes that every child deserves an opportunity to learn in the best schools, which is why he has worked tirelessly to achieve equitable and affordable education in Illinois; he authored legislation, House Bill 750, that provides parity in education funding, while also relieving the property tax burden on homeowners; during the 95th General Assembly, he was a supporter of House Bill 5038, which would have doubled the funding for early childhood education programs; he backed legislation to create a Continued Reading Improvement Grant Program to guarantee that Illinois students are given ample resources to master reading skills; he was a supporter of efforts to increase funds targeted to children aged 0 to 3 as part of Early Childhood Education funding, without harming existing preschool education programs; during the 96th General Assembly, he sponsored Senate Bill 325, which requires the State to guarantee bonds issued by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission in an effort to ensure that funds are available to provide grants and other assistance to those wanting to attend college; and

WHEREAS, As the chairman of the Illinois House Higher Education Committee, Representative Miller formulated a Higher Education Affordability Package during the 95th General Assembly to help make the dream of attending college easier to achieve; the package included House Bill 330, which would allow independent students who are currently eligible for MAP grants to receive larger awards, House Bill 703, which would have raised the maximum MAP grant allowances, and House Joint Resolution 32, which charges the Illinois Student Assistance Commission with documenting the overall financial need of independent students in Illinois and how much they are helped by the Monetary Award Program; and

WHEREAS, As Chairman of the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee, Representative Miller ensured no cuts were made to the State's colleges and universities and helped to increase the funding for the Monetary Award Program grants for needy college students by $34.4 million; he worked to include $1.5 million for nursing scholarships to help alleviate serious personnel shortages; during the 96th General Assembly, he sponsored Senate Bill 325, which requires the State to guarantee bonds issued by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission in an effort to ensure that funds are available to provide grants and other assistance to those wanting to attend college; and

WHEREAS, Representative Miller has been a stalwart advocate for greater economic development in the Southland; he introduced legislation that creates the Illinois Urban Development Authority, which would help promote economic growth in struggling areas by providing the tools needed to develop revitalization strategies for their communities; Representative Miller and South Suburban lawmakers sought to ensure the Southland received its fair share of those funds by passing a measure creating the Southwest Suburban Railroad Redevelopment Authority, which would work to improve railroad tracks and crossings in the south suburbs; during the 96th General Assembly, he was the sponsor of House Bill 264, which would create the Illinois Urban Development Authority Act and requires the Authority to make annual reports to certain entities; he also supported legislation that provides funding for a capital program to repair, replace, and build much-needed infrastructure throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, Representative Miller continues to support the development of a third regional airport and was pleased that the Attorney General decided to offer an opinion on the Abraham Lincoln Airport; he is also happy that money has been re-allocated for the continued purchase of land for the project; he has been a strong advocate for the third regional airport, which would provide the South Suburbs with a much needed economic stimulus; and

WHEREAS, Representative Miller was instrumental in the creation of the Illinois Cares Rx program, which helped to fill the gap in federal Medicare Part D coverage and ensure that lower-income Illinois' senior citizens and disabled persons receive the best coverage possible under the federal plan; and

WHEREAS, Representative Miller has been the recipient of numerous awards and designations for his service to the community, including the 2003 Legislator of the Year by Illinois Pharmacists Association, the 2003 Monsignor John Egan Payday Loan Reform Award, the 2003 Government Partner Award from Metropolitan Family Services, the 2004 Distinguished Alumni of University of Illinois College of Dentistry, and the 2006 American Institute of Architectures Legislator of the Year award; he is also the president of the Illinois Legislative Southland Caucus and a member of the BILLD and Flemming Legislative Fellowships for leadership and his community activity; and

WHEREAS, Representative Miller has served as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for his constituency and the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor our friend and colleague, Illinois State Representative David Miller, for his service and wish him great success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Representative David Miller as a symbol of our esteem and respect.