SR1693 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Illinois State Senator Mike Jacobs has represented the citizens of the State of Illinois and the families of the 36th Senate District since 2005; and

WHEREAS, Senator Mike Jacobs joined the Illinois Senate in May of 2005 as the unanimous choice to fill the vacancy created when his father, Senator Denny Jacobs, stepped down from public office after serving the Quad Cities for 14 years; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs learned the strong values of public service and giving back to his community through the selfless examples provided by his grandmother Caroline "Ma" Jacobs, known for serving plentiful portions of generosity, regardless of a customer's skin color; she is believed to be the first white restaurant owner in Illinois to serve African-Americans at her restaurant, Jake's Cafe; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs was elected to the Illinois Senate by the voters of the 36th Senate District in 2006, 2008, and 2012; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs previously served as the downstate liaison for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, where he managed driver facilities and operations for 14 counties across northwest Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Understanding the importance of job creation to improve the region's economy, Senator Jacobs worked to make sure the Western Illinois University Riverfront Campus became a reality; Senator Jacobs, together with Representative Pat Verschoore, worked to secure $62 million to fund the expansion; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs worked hard to enhance transportation and economic development opportunities in the Quad Cities area by securing direct flights from the Quad Cities to Washington, DC and by keeping the doors of the Rock Island Arsenal open, thereby securing employment for 7,000 employees at the Arsenal; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs worked diligently to secure $150 million to expand Amtrak service to the Quad Cities, providing a direct connection between the Quad Cities and Chicago, which will benefit the region for years to come; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs saw the Thomson Correctional Center as an economic opportunity for Carroll and Henry Counties and worked with leaders at the federal, State, and local levels to secure the sale of the Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government, which resulted in an influx of over 2,000 long-term jobs in the 36th Senate District and $165 million in revenue to help balance the State's budget; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs helped secure vital funds for the construction of the newly-opened $40 million KONE Centre development in downtown Moline to create good-paying and stable construction jobs for the residents of the region for years to come; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs has been a strong advocate for job creation throughout his career; he worked to amend the Quad Cities Regional Economic Development Authority Act by extending its geographic area to include Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Stephenson, and Lee counties; and

WHEREAS, As the Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, Senator Jacobs worked to bring more than a thousand jobs and additional clean energy to Illinois by securing an agreement that required the State to push green energy usage from 3% to 5% and promoting an initiative to support wind turbine and transmission manufacturing that resulted in over 1,450 union jobs and approximately $7 billion worth of investments in innovative wind energy projects; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs was honored by the Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors for securing the passage of the Blind Vendors Act, which helped to create vending and concession businesses and provide new opportunities for blind women and men in Illinois to allow them to be self-sufficient and self-employed; and

WHEREAS, Acting to promote the independence of our most vulnerable populations, Senator Jacobs worked to pass a law that requires gas stations to make sure there are easily accessible fueling stations for those with disabilities by requiring gas stations to have a call device that allows motorists with disabilities to request assistance; and

WHEREAS, To raise cancer awareness, Senator Jacobs worked to pass "Brandon's Law" to raise awareness of testicular cancer in high school health classes; Brandon Ballard died from testicular cancer at the age of 19, and his parents worked with Senator Jacobs to craft legislation to promote cancer awareness to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs understood the importance of honoring our veterans for the tireless sacrifices they have made for our country; he was recognized by the American Legion Department of Illinois for his commitment to the Veterans Special Programs American National Network; and

WHEREAS, To provide the children of the 36th Senate District with excellent educational opportunities, Senator Jacobs fought to secure funding for Silvis School District 34, securing $11.4 million to construct Northeast Junior High School and renovate the George O. Barr Elementary School; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs understood the long-term benefits of providing children with after-school programs; he worked to secure $600,000 for construction of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park and $88,000 for renovations to the organizations' center to strengthen schools, families, and communities and to create additional outlets for children to thrive; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs received the 2014 YMCA Legislative Hero Award for his work to secure $175,000 in funding for renovations to the Two Rivers YMCA and as a symbol of their gratitude for his years of dedication to the YMCA, local youth and teens, and his community; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs led the passage of a major State construction plan that brought $563 million to northwest Illinois, which has been invested in infrastructure, job creation, future construction, and railroad expansion and has provided hundreds of immediate jobs for area residents; and

WHEREAS, To help keep businesses open in the 36th Senate District, Senator Jacobs worked with the Wahl Clipper Corporation to secure an incentive package to guarantee that the company would be able to keep up with the growing worldwide demand for its products; when Wahl Clipper discussed moving out of the region to meet its growing business needs, Senator Jacobs worked to ensure that the company kept over 1,000 jobs in Sterling and created additional jobs for local residents; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs is the fourth member of his family to serve in the General Assembly; his great-uncle, Charles Carpentier, was a former Illinois Secretary of State, State Senator, and Mayor of East Moline; his grandfather, Oral "Jake" Jacobs, served in the Illinois House of Representatives, on the Rock Island County Board, and as an East Moline Alderman; most recently, his father Denny Jacobs served as Mayor of East Moline and as a State Senator; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs is an advocate for labor unions and working families throughout the State and is a former member of 3 Quad City area unions: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2025; United Automobile Workers Local 1304; and Laborers' Local Union 309; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs' commitment to his district and its communities is demonstrated by the excellent job he has done as a State Senator and by the recognition he has received from numerous groups and organizations, including the Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR, the Readers' Choice Award in recognition of Best Local Politician, the Downstate Democrat Bald Eagle Award, the Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors' Randolph Sheppard Advocate Award, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools' recognition of Outstanding Service to the schools of the State of Illinois in 2006 and 2011, the Illinois Public Transportation Association's Legislator of the Year Award, and the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois' Legislative Award for Outstanding Leadership; and

WHEREAS, Senator Jacobs is the father of his loving son, Elliott, and the son of Mary Ellen and Denny Jacobs; he will be deeply missed by all in this chamber; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank State Senator Mike Jacobs for his dedicated service to the people of Illinois and honor him with this resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Jacobs with our best wishes for his future endeavors.