HR0969 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0969 LRB101 23467 LAW 74820 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate State Representative and Assistant Minority Leader Grant Wehrli on his distinguished service to Illinois' 41st District and the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020 and served the body with honor and distinction; and

WHEREAS, During his three terms, Representative Wehrli served the people of DuPage and Will Counties with leadership and bipartisanship; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli is a lifelong resident of Naperville, with a rich family history dating back to the 1840s; he attended District 203 Schools; he attended the Florida Institute of Technology and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he studied Aviation Management and Aviation Flight; and

WHEREAS, Prior to serving in the General Assembly, Representative Wehrli served as a councilman for the City of Naperville from 2005 to 2014; prior to that, he was the chairman of the Naperville Planning Commission; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli also previously served on the Naperville Development Partnership, the Naperville Riverwalk Board, the Naper Settlement Museum Board, and the DuPage Mayors and Managers Legislative Committee; he coached Naperville Park District soccer, Little League, YMCA basketball, and St. Raphael youth football; he studied at the National Outdoor Leadership School; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli took his seat in the House of Representatives in January 2015; in recognition of his leadership, he was elevated to the position of Assistant Minority Leader in 2018, where he served as part of the nine-member House Republican Leadership Team; and

WHEREAS, During his six years of service, Representative Wehrli served as the ranking Republican on the Labor & Commerce and Cities & Villages Committees; he also served on several influential House committees, including the House Executive Committee; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli always promoted honest dialogue on all points of view on legislative issues and was a fierce advocate of balanced budgets and responsible spending; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli was a leading voice in the General Assembly for ethics reform, and he sponsored or co-sponsored dozens of bills that would improve behavioral standards for elected officials; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli was a strong voice of support for the State's most vulnerable populations and sponsored several pieces of legislation to improve the quality of life for individuals and families living with developmental disabilities and autism; he also promoted legislation to improve circumstances and wages for the frontline workers who provide care and services to the developmentally disabled and autistic community; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli was the leading Republican voice in Springfield for environmental protection; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli passed several pieces of taxpayer-friendly legislation, including pivotal pension double-dipping bills that prohibited two classifications of state workers from taking advantage of loopholes within the Illinois pension system; and

WHEREAS, Over the last six years, Representative Wehrli ushered 102 bills into law as the chief sponsor, passed 66 resolutions, and championed dozens of other bills that became laws as a chief co-sponsor or sponsor; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli has been honored with a multitude of awards and recognitions during his time in the General Assembly, including the Guardian of Small Business Award from the Illinois branch of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Perfect Scorecard for Environmental Stewardship Award from the Illinois Environmental Council, the Champion of Free Enterprise Award from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the TMA Perfect Score Award from the Illinois Technology & Manufacturing Association, and the Friend of Manufacturing Award from the Illinois Manufacturers' Association; and

WHEREAS, Representative Wehrli is the husband of Sharon and father of their sons, Jake and Luke; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate State Representative Grant Wehrli on making a positive difference in the lives of the people he represented in the 41st District, in DuPage County and Will County, and across Illinois, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

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