SR0936 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0936 LRB094 22082 KXB 60695 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Steve Rauschenberger was first elected to the State Senate in 1992 as part of the famed "Fab Five"; and

WHEREAS, He is the Republican Spokesman for the Senate Appropriations III Committee, and is also a member of the Senate Appropriations I Committee, the Senate Appropriations II Committee, the Senate Housing and Community Affairs Committee, and the Senate Environment and Energy Committee; and

WHEREAS, As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for eight years, Senator Rauschenberger negotiated multi-billion dollar State budgets, which provided millions of dollars for schools, vital State programs, senior citizen services, and local road and infrastructure improvements without a tax increase; and

WHEREAS, He is an advocate for State taxpayers, supporting statewide tax caps and increasing the income tax exemption; and

WHEREAS, He has been a leader in developing electric and telecommunications deregulation law and Medicaid policy; and

WHEREAS, He was the Senate negotiator of KidCare, the State health insurance program for children in low-income and working families; and

WHEREAS, He was selected as an Assistant Senate Republican Leader in 2003; and

WHEREAS, He served as President and Executive Board member for the National Conference of State Legislators and helped steer policy as a co-chairman of their Task Force on State and Local Taxation of Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Steve has served as Township Committeeman for Hanover Township in Cook County; he is also a former Senior Warden of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer and has been active with Explorer Post 5 of the Boy Scouts of America; and

WHEREAS, Steve has been honored more than 60 times for his legislative work by groups as varied as the Easter Seals, Illinois Fire Fighters, various Chambers of Commerce, human service groups, and educators; and

WHEREAS, He was a National Merit Semi-Finalist; and

WHEREAS, He graduated from the College of William and Mary with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration; and

WHEREAS, He is a native of Elgin, where he lives with his wife, Betty, and raised their two sons; and

WHEREAS, He has hosted the annual Senate staff appreciation party at his Springfield residence for many years (with varied results); and

WHEREAS, His zeal and adventurous spirit led him to numerous places around the world and the pursuit of higher office on several occasions; and

WHEREAS, His throwback nature shined through in his mild Statehouse smoking habit; and

WHEREAS, His love for junk food created a stack of M & M's and Laffy Taffy to rival only the State's budget bills and also led to Steve's mid-life jogging and biking habit; and

WHEREAS, Steve can happily leave the Senate knowing his beloved Chicago White Sox were crowned the World Champions of Professional Baseball in 2005; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Senator Steve Rauschenberger as he leaves the Illinois Senate after 13 years of dedicated service, and we wish him well in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Rauschenberger with our thanks for a job well done.