HR1068 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1068 LRB102 30051 LAW 42252 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate our colleague, State Representative Keith Sommer, on the occasion of his retirement from the General Assembly after 24 years of service; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer joined the House of Representatives in January 1999, but his service to the people of his district stretches back almost half a century; and

WHEREAS, Before he came to Springfield, Rep. Sommer served on the Tazewell County Board and the Morton Village Board; he also served as the recorder of Tazewell County and chaired his local regional planning commission; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer was a tireless advocate for adoptive families in Illinois, passing a historic adoption reform bill in 2015 that eased the process of international adoptions for Illinois families; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer opened educational opportunities for dyslexic children in Illinois through legislation that created a guide for school personnel to identify signs of dyslexia and to help them improve their dyslexic students' academic performance; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer aligned his legislative record with his style as an elected official; when someone came to him for help, he listened and then developed a way to assist them, not stopping until the solution became a reality; despite the bills he championed not always representing high profile issues with headline-grabbing attention, he worked diligently to pass them as he understood their importance to the families they directly impacted; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer has also left an indelible mark on the State of Illinois through successful designation of the pumpkin pie as our state pie, which honors his hometown of Morton, the pumpkin capital of the world; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer spent almost a quarter of a century in service to the people of Illinois as an advocate for lower taxes, local control, Second Amendment rights, and small businesses; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Sommer will leave the General Assembly for a much-deserved retirement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Representative Keith Sommer for his many years of service to the people of his district and the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we wish him, his wife, Deb, and their two daughters all the best in the years to come; and be it further

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