SR1387 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1387 LRB102 30216 MST 42599 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Senator Jason Barickman has represented the residents of central Illinois with distinction in the General Assembly for nearly 12 years; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman has served with honor in the Senate since January 2013 and in the House of Representatives from January 2011 to December 2012; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman has striven to be an independent voice in favor of limited and responsible governance for our State and has demonstrated that there is space for independent and thoughtful representation in our increasingly polarized political climate; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman was selected to participate in the inaugural class of the 2012 Edgar Fellows Leadership Program, which works to help future leaders bridge bipartisan divides and work together, and he continues to be active in that program; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman has played an important role in bringing historic changes to the State of Illinois, as he has worked to make the State of Illinois a better place; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman has been a leader of education reform initiatives, including legislation providing school choice to families struggling to escape failing districts, and he played an instrumental role in fixing the education funding disparities across the State, ensuring that all children, regardless of their zip code, have access to a high-quality education; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman embraced a pro-growth mindset and supported initiatives that fostered new economic opportunities in Illinois, including his negotiation of legislation that legalized adult-use cannabis, publicly stating that adult use of cannabis is largely a personal choice; he has regularly been honored for his work in the Illinois General Assembly from agriculture and business groups; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman championed the notion that government should give individuals freedom over their life decisions and fairness under the law; in supporting Marriage Equality, he said it was simply the right thing to do; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman sought to engage our youth in the political process and created the Senator Barickman Youth Advisory Council, in which hundreds of central Illinois high school students participated and were encouraged to be active and engaged citizens; the program has been expanded throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, As the Floor Leader for the Senate Republican Caucus, Sen. Barickman has been able to serve as an important voice for his Republican colleagues on numerous important and controversial bills; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman has embraced the notion of a citizen legislator, continuously maintaining his professional endeavors outside of the General Assembly, including as a partner in a real estate company and as an attorney, as well as an occasional adjunct college professor at his alma matter, Illinois State University; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman was born on May 1, 1975 and raised on a family farm near Streator; he is the son of Jim and Judy Barickman and brother to Joel Barickman; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman is a proud veteran and served as an infantry soldier in the Illinois Army National Guard; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Barickman and his wife, Kristin, have three young children, August who is eleven years old, Walter who is ten years old, and Lianna who is five years old; and

WHEREAS, In his tenure as a lawmaker, Sen. Barickman has been able to serve with distinction; and

WHEREAS, Lawmakers and legislative staff alike know and appreciate Sen. Barickman for his commitment to the people of Illinois and to good public policy; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Senator Jason Barickman on his retirement from the Illinois General Assembly after more than a decade of honorable and dedicated service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sen. Barickman with our friendship, our gratitude for his hard work, and our best wishes for his future endeavors.