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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant has served the
3citizens of the 49th State Senate District since 2013; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a lifelong resident of
5Will County and is the owner and operator of a family business
6in Joliet; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a proud graduate of the
8University of St. Francis, where she received a master's degree
9in Curriculum and Instruction with a secondary teaching
10certificate in History and Social Sciences; she earned a
11doctorate in education with a Superintendent's Endorsement
12from Loyola University; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant was a dedicated public
14servant even before she was first elected to the Senate; she
15worked as a teacher and administrator in both public and
16private schools in Will County; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant has worked diligently to
18ensure the children of Will County were given the opportunity
19to be successful in their classrooms; she served as Will County
20Regional Superintendent of Schools and then advocated for
21students as the Chair of the Senate's Education Committee,

 

 

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1where she worked to make sure educators and students had the
2tools to succeed; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a steadfast advocate
4for all people; she has fought for affordable health care,
5increasing government transparency, and increasing access to
6equitable educational opportunities for students of all ages;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant helped fight opioid abuse
9by passing bipartisan legislation to require the Illinois
10Department of Public Health to annually report to the General
11Assembly on data collected concerning opioid overdose-related
12deaths; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant fought to improve
14infrastructure by committing to make the I-80 corridor from New
15Lenox and Joliet to Shorewood and Minooka more safe through
16construction projects; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant worked to increase public
18safety by successfully passing a universal 911 measure, which
19requires businesses to eliminate having to dial "9" or any
20other number to reach an outside line; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant advocated for our

 

 

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1veterans by championing the Illinois veterans' business loan
2program to allow the Illinois Finance Authority to offer an
3increased number of low-interest loans to veterans to create
4new businesses; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant has worked to ensure
6seniors have the resources to live vibrant lives; she passed a
7Silver Alert measure so adults who are disoriented and wander
8due to Alzheimer's or dementia could be located; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a steadfast advocate
10for ensuring students have the financial aid they need to go to
11college as evidenced by her support of the Monetary Award
12Program (MAP) grants; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant championed measures to
14protect workers across Will County, including raising the
15minimum wage, fighting to ensure equal pay for equal work, and
16pushing for tax incentives for employers to encourage the
17creation and expansion of apprenticeship programs; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant supported legislation
19that would defer tax sales, give counties the ability to extend
20homestead exemptions, and wave late fees to provide relief and
21flexibility to property tax owners; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant's priority as a state
2senator was always to ensure her office was readily available
3to all the residents of her district by holding regular town
4halls, senior events, an annual kids' fair, informative
5workshops, and traveling office hours throughout the 49th
6district; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Senator Bertino-Tarrant exits the Senate to
8become the first woman to hold the office of Will County
9Executive; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator
12Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant for her service to the people of
13Illinois and honor her with this resolution; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to Senator Bertino-Tarrant with our best wishes for
16all her future endeavors.