Bill Text: IL SR1420 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Bill Luking.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-12-04 - Resolution Adopted [SR1420 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SR1420-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened | ||||||
3 | to learn of the passing of one of our oldest and dearest | ||||||
4 | friends, Bill Luking, on June 12, 2014; and
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5 | WHEREAS, William H. Luking was born on August 7, 1947 in | ||||||
6 | Connersville, Indiana, the eldest of the 9 children of Lowell | ||||||
7 | and Elizabeth McCarthy Luking; he graduated from Connersville | ||||||
8 | High School in 1965, graduated cum laude from the University of | ||||||
9 | Notre Dame in 1969, and graduated from Northwestern University | ||||||
10 | Law School in 1972; he later served his country as a First | ||||||
11 | Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Bill Luking was one of the Senate's most | ||||||
13 | knowledgeable advocates; he was a wise expert who understood | ||||||
14 | State, local, and federal law; he loved his work and its focus | ||||||
15 | on complex issues involving taxation, economic development, | ||||||
16 | public pensions, and mass transit; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Beginning in 1986 under the administration of | ||||||
18 | Mayor Harold Washington, Bill Luking represented the City of | ||||||
19 | Chicago with commitment and skill; he would go on to serve as a | ||||||
20 | key advocate for the City for nearly 30 more years under Mayors | ||||||
21 | Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Bill Luking's talents, skills, and vast knowledge | ||||||
2 | helped him fight for millions of Chicagoans, conservationists, | ||||||
3 | and nature lovers as he represented the Chicago Public Schools, | ||||||
4 | the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the | ||||||
5 | City Colleges of Chicago, and - one of his favorites - the | ||||||
6 | Chicago Botanic Garden; and
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7 | WHEREAS, In his years of distinguished service, Bill Luking | ||||||
8 | was instrumental in the passage of some of the most significant | ||||||
9 | laws affecting Chicago and its landscape, including the | ||||||
10 | construction of the new Comiskey Park, now U.S. Cellular Field; | ||||||
11 | the expansion of Soldier Field; the privatization of Midway | ||||||
12 | Airport; strengthening the City's authority over its school | ||||||
13 | system; and reforms that helped preserve the solvency of | ||||||
14 | Chicago's pension system and the retirement security of | ||||||
15 | countless numbers of municipal workers; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Bill Luking and his firm, Luking and Associates, | ||||||
17 | L.L.C., were proud of their pro bono work on behalf of the | ||||||
18 | Chicago Christian Industrial League, Tuesday's Child, the | ||||||
19 | Howard Area Community Association, the Chicago Children's | ||||||
20 | Advocacy Center, and the Southwest Youth Collaborative; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Bill Luking was well known and respected by the | ||||||
22 | members and staff of the Illinois Senate for his great | ||||||
23 | knowledge of national, State, and local law, his genial and |
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1 | honest nature, and his unwavering dedication to our State and | ||||||
2 | its citizens; whether they were advocating on the same side of | ||||||
3 | an issue or in opposition to him, his peers regarded him as an | ||||||
4 | intelligent, forthright, and honest advocate who paved the way | ||||||
5 | for legislative success for many generations of newcomers to | ||||||
6 | the Illinois State Capitol; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Bill Luking was universally regarded as a | ||||||
8 | gentleman and a scholar, as well as a man of warmth and humor; | ||||||
9 | and
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10 | WHEREAS, Bill Luking is survived by his siblings, Laura | ||||||
11 | (Peter) Jamison, Meg Luking, Mary Anne Morris, Beth Luking, | ||||||
12 | Gene (Debbie) Luking, Joe (Johnnie) Luking, Charlene (Larry) | ||||||
13 | Wood, and Rosemary (Jay) Card; 13 nieces and nephews; 13 | ||||||
14 | great-nieces and great-nephews; and his friend and companion, | ||||||
15 | Claire Manning; therefore, be it
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16 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
17 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his | ||||||
18 | family and friends, mourn the passing of Bill Luking; and be it | ||||||
19 | further
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20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
21 | presented to the family of Bill Luking as a symbol of our deep | ||||||
22 | sympathies and great esteem.
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