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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate Bill Shepherd on the 
4occasion of his retirement from State Farm on September 1, 2017 
5after 28 years of service; and
  
 
  
6    WHEREAS, Bill Shepherd graduated from the University of 
7Nebraska
Law School in 1977; he passed the Illinois Bar and 
8begin to practice in Rockford with an
insurance defense firm; 
9in 1982, he moved to Chicago to
work as an assistant attorney 
10general in the Office of the
Illinois Attorney General; he then  
11joined the legal staff of the
Illinois State Senate where he 
12drafted and analyzed
legislation primarily dealing with the 
13highly controversial
nuclear energy industry; he also was on 
14the project team
that drafted the first-in-the-nation State 
15Telecommunications
Act that followed the antitrust breakup of 
16AT&T and the Bell system monopoly; Governor James R. Thompson 
17then appointed him to a position in his administration 
18advocating
on behalf of small business consumers at the 
19Illinois
Commerce Commission; and
 
  
20    WHEREAS, Bill Shepherd joined the State Farm  Law 
21Department's Legislative/Regulatory
Section in  January of 1990 
22as state counsel and was assigned to the Illinois Region and 
23then
the Canadian Region; and
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, Bill Shepherd provided a steady and authoritative

2presence at the Illinois State Capitol; a wide variety of

3issues have demanded his drafting skills which now populate the 
4Illinois Insurance Code; his input is also reflected in 
5numerous other statutes, including taxation, uninsured 
6motorist coverage,
unclaimed life insurance assets, and many 
7others; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Bill Shepherd has represented State Farm in a 
9variety of external groups such
as the National Conference of 
10Insurance Legislators, the Republican
Governors Association, 
11the Republican Legislative Campaign
Committee, the National 
12Governors Association, and the Senate
Presidents' Forum; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, In retirement, Bill Shepherd intends to continue 
14his research and
writing on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War; 
15he and his
wife, Mary, plan to stay in Bloomington but will be 
16traveling to national parks, Civil War sites, and looking 
17forward to some overseas travel,  including a river cruise in 
18France; therefore, be it
  
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
20HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
21congratulate Bill Shepherd on his retirement from State Farm 
22after 28 years of service, and we wish him the best in all his 
 
 
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1future endeavors; and be it further
  
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
3presented to Bill Shepherd as a symbol of our respect and 
4esteem.