HR1316 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1316 LRB100 24060 MST 43164 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Assistant Minority Leader and State Rep. Chad Hays on his distinguished service to the 104th Legislative District and the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays was a member of the Illinois House from 2010 to 2018 and served the body with honor and distinction; and

WHEREAS, The people of Vermilion and Champaign Counties have been well-served by the leadership and bipartisanship of Rep. Hays during his four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays graduated from Catlin High School in 1981, from Danville Area Community College in 1983, and from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1986; and

WHEREAS, Prior to taking his seat in the General Assembly, Rep. Hays served as the Vice President of the Provena United Samaritan Medical Center Foundation in Danville, as the administrator for the Family Medical Center in Paris, and as the Director of Planning & Development at the Danville Polyclinic; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays served as Mayor of Catlin for two terms, chaired the Vermilion County Mayor's Council, and was a member of the Board of Directors for many community-based organizations, including the Danville Area Economic Development Corporation (Vermilion Advantage), the Danville Rotary Club, and the Vermilion Area Community Health Center; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays and his wife, Ruth, raised their family in Catlin; together, they are the proud parents of three adult children, Leighton (Anna), Caleb (Alissa), and Damon; they are the doting grandparents of three beautiful grandchildren, Grayson, Wesley, and Genevieve; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives in December of 2010 and was elected to serve the 104th District in 2012, 2014, and 2016; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of his leadership, Rep. Hays was promoted to the role of Assistant Minority Leader for the House Republican Caucus under House Republican Leader Jim Durkin in 2013; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays served as the ranking Republican on several influential House Committees, including the powerful House Executive Committee, which considers the State's most important and contentious bills; he also served as the Republican Spokesperson for the Healthcare Availability Access, Community College Access & Affordability, Public Utilities, and Higher Education Committees; and

WHEREAS, In an effort to promote bipartisanship and bring lawmakers together, Rep. Hays joined with Republican State Representative Mike Tryon and Democrat Senator Don Harmon to form The Boat Drink Caucus, a band that played regularly in Springfield and at the inauguration of Governor Bruce Rauner; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays has always promoted honest dialogue regarding all points of view on legislative issues and has been a fierce advocate of balanced budgets and responsible spending; and

WHEREAS, Over the last eight years, Rep. Hays ushered dozens of bills into law as the Chief Sponsor, including landmark insurance network adequacy legislation which offers significant protections and remedies for Illinoisans who rely on narrow preferred provider networks for their health insurance; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays also championed a new law that improves the reliability of 9-1-1 emergency access service statewide; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Hays has been honored with a multitude of awards and recognitions during his time in the General Assembly, including the Guardian of Small Business Award from the Illinois branch of the National Federation of Independent Businesses in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Perfect Scorecard for Environmental Stewardship Award from the Illinois Environmental Council in 2016, the Danville Area Community College's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2014, the Champion of Free Enterprise Award from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce for 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018, the Friend of Agriculture Award from the Illinois Farm Bureau in 2012, and the Legislator of the Year Award from the Illinois chapter of the National Emergency Number Association in 2017; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate State Rep. Chad Hays on making a positive difference in the lives of the people he represented in Vermilion and Champaign Counties and across Illinois, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Rep. Hays, his wife, Ruth, and their family as an expression of our esteem and respect for our colleague and friend.