HR0913 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0913 LRB099 15751 MST 40052 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Representative Raymond Poe was born in Lincoln on March 26, 1944 to a family that was producing food for World War II and raising children for the challenging world that would follow victory in the war; and

WHEREAS, Although Rep. Poe graduated from DeVry Institute of Technology in Chicago in 1963, he has always put Central Illinois and its farm heritage first, returning to Sangamon County to take on the increasingly challenging demands of modern agriculture; and

WHEREAS, As devoted to agriculture as Rep. Poe was, he has dedicated his life to serving his neighbors; he served as a member and eventually as President of the Williamsville School Board and as President of his local farm bureau and Lincolnland Farm Supply; and

WHEREAS, On March 15, 1994, the Republican voters of the 99th Representative District chose Rep. Poe to be their candidate as a challenger for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, As a freshman candidate on November 8, 1994, Rep. Poe was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, becoming a member of the 99th General Assembly and beginning what would be the first of 11 terms of office as an elected State lawmaker; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the House majority and then the minority, Rep. Poe has always worked to bring all sides together so that important issues can be discussed; he served for many years as a member, and eventually as Co-Chairman, of a key General Assembly Joint Committee, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, reflecting the high and increasing respect granted to him by members of both political parties and both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Poe became famous around the Capitol and throughout the State for his barbecue, which in recent years has become a staple of long session days each spring; and

WHEREAS, As both a farmer and an expert in agricultural policy, Rep. Poe, upon taking office, was appointed to the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee; he returned to this panel in 2013 in the 99th General Assembly, widely respected by the entire farming and agricultural community for his patient expertise; and

WHEREAS, The House of Representatives was brought to both joy and sadness in November of 2015 by the news that one of its most respected members, the 11-term Rep. Poe of Sangamon County, would be moving on as the newly-appointed Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture; and

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives will miss Rep. Poe as a friend; we will miss the generosity of him and his family; and most of all, we will miss the shining example of moral and physical courage that he has demonstrated to his neighbors, friends, and colleagues over the course of his career and in the years of 2014 and 2015; and

WHEREAS, Although we recognize that Rep. Poe is and always will be our friend, we also know that foremost in his heart are the members of his family: his wife, Carol, his children, his grandchildren, and his beloved mother, Sarah, to whom this House earlier this year wished a happy 99th birthday; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that that we commend the Honorable Raymond Poe for his service to the Illinois House of Representatives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we congratulate Rep. Poe upon his selection as Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, with the knowledge that Illinois farmers can have no better friend in a challenging time; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Director Poe to visit the Illinois House of Representatives often, to share the priorities of his Department and to share his family recipe for fried chicken; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to the Honorable Raymond Poe and his wife, Carol Poe.