Bill Text: IL SR1068 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Honor Senator Suzi Schmidt on her time in the General Assembly.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2013-01-08 - Resolution Adopted [SR1068 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-SR1068-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Senator Suzi Schmidt has represented the citizens | ||||||
3 | of Lake County with distinction as State Senator for the 31st | ||||||
4 | District since 2011; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt's priorities have always been | ||||||
6 | those of the people she represents-local government, | ||||||
7 | education, business development and job creation, and lower | ||||||
8 | taxes; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt's public service began in 1985, | ||||||
10 | when she was elected as a township trustee and served in the | ||||||
11 | capacity until she was elected to the Lake County Board; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt was first elected to the Lake | ||||||
13 | County Board and Lake County Forest Preserve Board in 1988, and | ||||||
14 | served with distinction for 22 years; and
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15 | WHEREAS In 2000, Senator Schmidt became the first female | ||||||
16 | chair of the Lake County Board, and her peers elected her as | ||||||
17 | chair for 10 consecutive years; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt has always been a strong supporter | ||||||
19 | of the environment, making sure that the residents of Lake | ||||||
20 | County for generations to come would have the opportunity to |
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1 | enjoy open space, forest preserves, and recreational areas; and
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2 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt's environmental commitment is | ||||||
3 | evidenced by her diligent efforts on the Land Acquisition | ||||||
4 | Committee from 1988 to 2010; she was instrumental in the | ||||||
5 | purchase and protection of 16,297 acres of land in Lake County, | ||||||
6 | including the acquisition of 34 entirely new Forest Preserves | ||||||
7 | such as Bonner Farm, Hastings Lake, Duck Fann, Sun Lake, and | ||||||
8 | Bluebird Meadow, as well as additions to 54 existing preserves | ||||||
9 | and many parcels of land acquired to develop the Des Plaines | ||||||
10 | and Millennium regional trails; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt has been dedicated to the | ||||||
12 | preservation of the history of Lake County's agricultural roots | ||||||
13 | as evidenced by her support of agricultural leasing, as well as | ||||||
14 | her service on the Bonner Farm Advisory Committee from 2000 to | ||||||
15 | 2004, which resulted in the opening of the Bonner Heritage | ||||||
16 | Farm; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt demonstrated her commitment to | ||||||
18 | wetland protection and research through her service on the | ||||||
19 | Wetlands Research Board from 1988 to 2008; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt previously served as a director of | ||||||
21 | the Illinois Lakes Management Association from 1986 to 1988; | ||||||
22 | and
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1 | WHEREAS, Because of Senator Schmidt's strong environmental | ||||||
2 | commitment to the State of Illinois, she was presented with the | ||||||
3 | Environmental Legislator of the Year Award in 2011; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt influenced countless decisions | ||||||
5 | that improved Lake County and the quality of life for its | ||||||
6 | residents; she was known for her ability to build consensus on | ||||||
7 | the county board; she fostered cooperation with all members of | ||||||
8 | both sides of the aisle and worked on behalf of all residents; | ||||||
9 | and
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10 | WHEREAS Senator Schmidt brought those same team-building | ||||||
11 | traits with her to the Illinois Senate; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt's commitment to effective local | ||||||
13 | government continued in Springfield as she served as Republican | ||||||
14 | spokesperson of the Senate Local Government Committee, helping | ||||||
15 | to guide public policy that impacts all Illinois communities | ||||||
16 | and their citizens; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt recognized the need to balance the | ||||||
18 | important work done by local governments with the public right | ||||||
19 | to know, cosponsoring a new law that requires a public body to | ||||||
20 | take reasonable steps to ensure that a copy of any meeting | ||||||
21 | notice and agenda are continuously available for public review |
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1 | during the entire 48-hour period preceding the meeting; and
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2 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt also served as a member of the | ||||||
3 | Senate Commerce Committee, the Senate Appropriations II | ||||||
4 | Committee, the Senate Financial Institutions Committee, and | ||||||
5 | the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability; | ||||||
6 | and
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7 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt has always been a champion for | ||||||
8 | fiscal responsibility and prudent conservative budget | ||||||
9 | principles, often heard to say: "We don't spend money we don't | ||||||
10 | have."; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt was born in Chicago in 1951, | ||||||
12 | attended grade school in Summit, and graduated from Lyons | ||||||
13 | Township High School in LaGrange; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt earned a bachelor's degree in Art | ||||||
15 | Education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in | ||||||
16 | 1974; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt taught for 12 years at Lotus | ||||||
18 | Elementary, Grass Lake Elementary, and Gavin School District; | ||||||
19 | and
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20 | WHEREAS, A resident of Lake Villa Township for over 30 |
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1 | years, Senator Schmidt has long been active in her community, | ||||||
2 | serving as the president of Metro Counties, as a member of the | ||||||
3 | Board of Governors of the Lake County University Center, and as | ||||||
4 | a member of the Executive Committee of the Lake County | ||||||
5 | Municipal League; she is also a member of the Lindenhurst/Lake | ||||||
6 | Villa Chamber of Commerce, Friends of Lake Villa Library, and | ||||||
7 | Lake Villa Historical Society; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Senator Schmidt has represented her constituents | ||||||
9 | in the Senate with dedication, energy, and enthusiasm, earning | ||||||
10 | the respect and admiration of her colleagues on both sides of | ||||||
11 | the aisle; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Legislators and staff alike know and appreciate | ||||||
13 | Senator Schmidt for her engaging personality, generosity, | ||||||
14 | kindness, and a smile that lights up the Senate Chambers; | ||||||
15 | therefore, be it
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16 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | ||||||
17 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Senator | ||||||
18 | Suzi Schmidt on her retirement from the Illinois Senate after 2 | ||||||
19 | years of honorable and dedicated service; and be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
21 | presented to Senator Suzi Schmidt with our friendship, our | ||||||
22 | gratitude for her hard work, and our best wishes for her future |
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1 | endeavors.
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