HR0126 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0126 LRB099 08688 MST 28855 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor former State Representative Tom Cross for his service to Kendall County, Will County, and the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Cross grew up in northeastern Illinois, graduating from Yorkville High School in 1976; after graduating from law school, he returned to northeastern Illinois and defended public safety as an assistant prosecutor in the office of Kendall County State's Attorney Dallas Ingemunson; and

WHEREAS, Kendall County and western Will County enjoyed strong population growth in the 1980s; this created new challenges but also led to the creation of a new seat in the Illinois House in 1991; Rep. Cross was urged to use this opportunity to step up his service to his home communities; in March of 1992, he won a primary race for the new seat by a 3-1 margin, and, in November of 1992, he won a landslide victory with a vote total of 57.9%, to earn his first term in the Illinois House of Representatives; in January of 1993, with his prosecutorial experience, he was chosen to serve as vice-spokesperson on the House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee; and

WHEREAS, Aware of the commuting challenges facing his fast-growing district, Rep. Cross asked for, and received, a seat on the House Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee; for more than 20 years, he has paid attention to the public-safety and the transportation-infrastructure needs of his neighbors and the communities he has represented; in January of 1995, when House Republicans took over the majority, he became Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary-Civil Law, using his committee to create legal reforms and fighting for Illinois economic growth and development; this theme would be a focus of his State and local leadership; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the 1990s, Rep. Cross continued to fight for civil and criminal legal reforms and for State infrastructure and development, winning the respect of his Springfield colleagues as he had won the respect of his neighbors in his home district; in January of 2003, his House colleagues chose him to be their House Republican Leader, a post in which he would continue to serve for more than 10 years; and

WHEREAS, The trends of economic and social change south of Aurora and west of Joliet have made it all the more obvious that civil justice reform, a tough but compassionate structure of State criminal law, and a productivity-oriented infrastructure are necessary pieces to make a bright future for the people of this fast-growing area and for all of Illinois; therefore be it; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor former State Representative Tom Cross for his service to Kendall County, Will County, and the State of Illinois and wish him and his family the best in all their future endeavors; and be it further

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