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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to honor our esteemed colleague, State
4Representative Michael W. Halpin, for his six years as a
5member of the Illinois House of Representatives and thank him
6for his dedicated service to our State and the 72nd House
7District; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin served the 72nd District of Illinois
9from January 2017 to January 2023, representing the
10communities of Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Andalusia,
11Edgington, Illinois City, Milan, Oak Grove, Reynolds, Silvis,
12and Taylor Ridge; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin is originally from Voorheesville, New
14York; he earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science
15from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and was the
16first in his immediate family to earn a college degree; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin first came to Illinois in 2002 to
18join the staff of the late Congressman Lane Evans, who served
19the 17th Congressional District of Illinois, which includes
20the Quad Cities area; through his work with Congressman Evans,
21he fostered relationships and gained knowledge that would help
22him in his later work as they traveled around the district

 

 

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1often to meet with constituents and elected officials; and
 
2    WHEREAS, After leaving Congressman Evans' office, Rep.
3Halpin attended the University of Illinois to complete his law
4degree; during this time, he clerked for former-Chief Justice
5of the Illinois Supreme Court Rita B. Garman; since then, he
6has professionally practiced in many areas of law, primarily
7focusing on labor law and municipal law; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin has built and maintained an excellent
9reputation within his community and sustained his desire to
10serve its members; he was appointed public administrator and
11public guardian of Rock Island in 2013, and he served in this
12capacity until joining the House of Representatives in 2017;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, During his tenure in the House, Rep. Halpin
15utilized his position to provide better infrastructure to
16Illinois, support veterans, provide Illinoisans with more
17transparency in their government, assist Illinois workers, and
18respond to constituent needs; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin served as the Illinois representative
20on the Interstate Passenger Rail Commission for several years,
21aiming to improve mass transportation and infrastructure in
22the Midwest by enhancing inter-city rail and developing plans

 

 

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1to bring high-speed rail to the region; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin became a leader in helping and
3defending workers in Springfield through his chairmanship of
4the Personnel and Pensions Committee and his service as a
5member of Governor Pritzker's Job Creation and Economic
6Opportunity Committee during the 2018 gubernatorial
7transition; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin believes that caring for constituents
9and providing them reliable and efficient access to their
10government is one of the most important responsibilities of
11any elected official; he and his staff are proud of their
12efforts to resolve constituent cases, connect them with
13Illinois agencies, and answer their questions and concerns
14over the years; they are also happy to have had the opportunity
15to regularly connect with the community through a number of
16local events, including Principal for a Day, Fright Night, and
17an annual holiday lunch service, where they provide and serve
18food to low-income residents during the holidays; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin's responsiveness to constituents is
20highlighted by one of his most memorable pieces of
21legislation, which allows schools to keep undesignated
22glucagon on hand for students that do not have their
23prescription available but experience a diabetic emergency; he

 

 

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1brought this legislation to the General Assembly in response
2to an emergency overseen by a local school nurse; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin also devotes his free time to
4supporting causes about which he is passionate, including
5service on the Board of Directors for Bridging the Gap: Stand
6Down For Homeless Veterans; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin has successfully balanced the
8responsibilities of excellent public service with the personal
9responsibilities of maintaining and growing a family; he
10constantly worked to ensure that he always has time set aside
11to dedicate to his wife, MaryAnn, and his children, Natalie
12and Will; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Rep. Halpin will leave the House of
14Representatives at the conclusion of the 102nd General
15Assembly, continuing his service to the people of Western
16Illinois as Senator for the 36th District; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
18HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19we congratulate and thank Representative Michael Halpin for
20his years of dedicated service, and we wish him luck in his
21future endeavors as a state senator; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Rep. Halpin as an expression of our esteem and
3respect.