HR0966 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0966 LRB101 23470 MST 74832 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate their former colleague, State Representative Marguerite "Margo" McDermed, on her career in this body serving the people of the 37th District honorably and with pride; and

WHEREAS, Representative McDermed is a lifelong Illinoisan, raised in LaGrange, earning her law degree from DePaul University, and settling with her family in Mokena; she worked tirelessly in Chicago for 30 years as a lawyer, and as the daughter of parents active in civic affairs, she has always been active in the community and civic minded, and the people of Will County have benefited from her leadership for years; and

WHEREAS, Wanting to give back, Representative McDermed began her career in public service at the local level, serving as Township Collector before becoming a Trustee on the Frankfort Township Board; in 2009, she was elected as Frankfort Township Clerk, where she introduced early voting in the township for all registered voters and organized over 125 years of township records into a cohesive and accessible system at no expense to taxpayers before finally serving as a member of the Will County Board after her election in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Representative McDermed was first elected to the Statehouse in November 2014 but took office during the lame duck session of the 98th General Assembly in January 2015; during her tenure, she served as the minority spokesperson on the Judiciary - Civil Committee, Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committee, and Economic Justice & Equity Committee and as a member of the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council; and

WHEREAS, As a dedicated public servant committed to respecting the trust of the taxpayers, Representative McDermed took no pension, took no state health benefits, consistently voted to freeze or reduce property taxes, voted no on all income tax increases, and never voted for an unbalanced budget; and

WHEREAS, During her time in the House, Representative McDermed worked on commonsense, good government legislation, producing ethics laws like forbidding the use of confidentiality clauses in settlements or severance agreements involving taxpayer money; she was a major driving force behind the statewide Sexual Assault Tracking System and the first major capital and infrastructure package in a decade; and

WHEREAS, Representative McDermed always voted her conscience and her constituency and was consequently recognized every year in office by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Farm Bureau for her unwavering support of small businesses and farmers; and

WHEREAS, Thousands of 37th District residents benefited from Representative McDermed's services and events, including numerous self-defense classes, citizenship workshops, blood drives, free shredding services, senior driving seminars, and diaper drives; she was consistently engaged with her constituents; and

WHEREAS, While we will miss Representative McDermed's impassioned and steadfast presence in this chamber, after 30 years in private business and 15 years in public service, she is ready to enjoy a well-earned retirement, traveling the world, including visiting family living in Japan, quilting, and spending time with her grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend State Representative Marguerite "Margo" McDermed on her lifelong career and service to the State of Illinois and wish her nothing but the best in her retirement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Representative McDermed as a symbol of our appreciation and respect for our former colleague and cherished friend.