HR1327 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1327 LRB100 24263 ALS 43509 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Representative Christine Winger for her service to the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger, a lifelong resident of Illinois, was raised on the Northwest side of Chicago; she followed in the footsteps of her father, a police officer in Chicago, and committed to public service after she graduated from Illinois State University; prior to her election to the Illinois House of Representatives, she served as a City Councilman in Wood Dale for 11 years and tirelessly advocated for residents and small business owners; she was appointed Deputy Mayor of Wood Dale in 2013; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger left local government to serve the State of Illinois and took office for the 45th Representative District of Illinois in 2014; with her professional experience as project manager at IBM and her work as a financial advisor, she served the communities of DuPage and Cook County for two terms and worked to improve the quality of life for families, including advocating for a better job climate to help businesses thrive; and

WHEREAS, A strong supporter of animal rights and welfare, Representative Winger sponsored legislation to advocate for the humane treatment of animals, and, in 2018, she sponsored HB 5477 to increase transparency in animal shelters throughout Illinois and to promote better health and wellness for animals in shelters; to further advocate for the health and wellness of animals, she worked to promote SB2380, which prevented shelters from euthanizing animals; and

WHEREAS, Throughout her tenure in the House of Representatives, Representative Winger worked tirelessly to provide area residents with relief from the adverse effects of the airport noise and its flight patterns; she worked with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study of the environmental effects of O'Hare Airport and even traveled to the White House to meet with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger was a strong supporter of veterans and worked in the House of Representatives to assist with the transition from military life to civilian life, advocated for better property tax rights, and also helped to increase the level of care within Veterans' Homes; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger joined her colleagues in Cook County to oppose a pop tax that took effect in 2017 and stood in support of legislation to repeal it and the unfair burden it placed on the constituents, businesses, and families in her District; standing alongside lawmakers at the State and local level, her continued support for a repeal successfully made the pop tax one of the shortest taxes in history when it was repealed on December 1, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger has been a staunch supporter of local business and was a member of five local chambers: Wood Dale, Roselle, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, and the Bartlett Area; in 2018, she was recognized as a Champion of Free Enterprise by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger fiercely supported the Time's Up movement and urged her colleagues in the House of Representatives to do the same; as a member of the House Sexual Harassment Task Force, she was a strong proponent of House Resolution 783, which urged a full investigation into an Illinois assembly plant owned by Ford Motor Company to put a stop to sexual harassment and to call for increased support for women in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, An advocate for property tax reform, Representative Winger supported reform efforts in Springfield while also providing outreach and support to the constituents at home in the 45th District to help residents navigate the complex and confusing property tax system; and

WHEREAS, To support better business practices, Representative Winger created HB3244, legislation to allow electronic document transfer to allow more effective communication between larger businesses, companies, and consumers; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger worked to pass HB3251, legislation to prevent cyberstalking, electronic monitoring, and the use of spyware, to protect the privacy and safety of all citizens; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger created an essential new law that ensured newborns receive bilateral hearing screenings within 30 days of birth, an instrumental advancement in early intervention to help children get the services they need to develop necessary language skills; and

WHEREAS, Serving as an advocate for the foster care system, Representative Winger worked to pass legislation to permit foster parents to make decisions about normal activities for their foster children; because of this change, children in foster care can spend the night at a friend's house or go to prom or get an after-school job; and

WHEREAS, An active member of the community, Representative Winger created a senior advisory council to gain insight into issues important to senior citizens in the area and to hold discussions about the issues facing Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger enjoyed meeting students throughout her district during her summer reading program and at her Student Art Gallery, a spot in her district office where she proudly displayed the artwork from students at Westfield Middle School; and

WHEREAS, Representative Winger's dedication to the State of Illinois, its communities, and its people is commendable and made a difference in the lives of many; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Representative Christine Winger for her service to the State of Illinois, her neighbors, and friends in the 45th Representative District, and we wish her and her family the best as she moves on to a new chapter in her life; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Representative Winger as an expression of our esteem and respect.