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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, William E. Peterson has represented the citizens
3 of Lake County and northeastern Illinois with distinction in
4 the General Assembly for more than 26 years; and
 
5     WHEREAS, He has served with honor in the Senate since 1993,
6 after five terms in the House of Representatives; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Senator Peterson's priorities have always been
8 those of the people he represents, local government, education,
9 business development and job creation, and lower taxes; and
 
10     WHEREAS, He became a lawmaker to make the State of Illinois
11 a better place to live, bringing State government from the
12 marble halls of the Capitol back home to the communities of
13 northeastern Illinois; and
 
14     WHEREAS, His deep concern for veterans and our armed forces
15 led him to sponsor numerous measures to assist Illinois
16 veterans, including the "Let Them Rest in Peace Act"; and
 
17     WHEREAS, His concern for education and child safety
18 prompted him to sponsor measures to assist and protect
19 children, including the requirement that buses have safety arms
20 on the front bumper, the Round Lake Unit District 116 School

 

 

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1 Finance Authority legislation, and legislation that would
2 spotlight outstanding teachers and provide the best
3 educational support for students; and
 
4     WHEREAS, He has sponsored laws helping senior citizens,
5 including expanding the Circuit Breaker program; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He has always recognized the need to balance the
7 best interests of the public and the conflicting views of all
8 parties, as seen in his sponsorship of legislation that started
9 early voting in Illinois, so everyone is given ample
10 opportunity to vote; and
 
11     WHEREAS, He has always been a strong supporter of open
12 spaces, making sure that the residents of his district for
13 generations to come would have the opportunity to enjoy open
14 space, forest preserves and recreational areas; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He served as Chairman of the Senate Revenue
16 Committee from 1995 through 2002, helping to guide sound fiscal
17 public policy that impacted everyone in Illinois; and
 
18     WHEREAS, He was selected to serve as Assistant Senate
19 Republican Leader in 2003; and
 
20     WHEREAS, He most recently served as Republican Spokesman of

 

 

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1 the Senate Housing and Community Affairs Committee, as a member
2 of the Senate Insurance Committee, the Senate Licensed
3 Activities Committee, the Senate Local Government Committee,
4 the Senate State Government and Veterans Committee, and the
5 Legislative Ethics Commission; and
 
6     WHEREAS, A number of local and State organizations have
7 honored William Peterson for his efforts in the General
8 Assembly, including the Illinois Education Association, the
9 Illinois School Board Association, the Illinois Chamber of
10 Commerce, the Illinois Park District Association, the Township
11 Officials of Illinois, the Northern Illinois Council on Alcohol
12 and Substance Abuse, the Omni Youth Services, and the Illinois
13 Environmental Council; and
 
14     WHEREAS, William Peterson has been involved in local civic
15 and educational organizations, including the Long Grove Lions
16 Club, numerous local Chambers of Commerce, and the Stevenson
17 High School Band Parents' Organization; and
 
18     WHEREAS, He has served on the College of Lake County
19 Advisory Board, the Omni Youth Services Board of Ambassadors,
20 the United Way of Lake County Board, the NICASA Advisory Board,
21 and the First Colonial Bank of Vernon Hills Board; and
 
22     WHEREAS, He is a member of the Citizens for Conservation,

 

 

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1 the Friends of Ryerson Woods, the Friends of the Vernon Area
2 Library, the Illinois Historical Society, and the Township
3 Officials of Illinois; and
 
4     WHEREAS, He earned a bachelor's degree in history from
5 North Park University and a master's degree in education from
6 Northern Illinois University, and did post-graduate studies at
7 Loyola University of Chicago; and
 
8     WHEREAS, He is a former teacher and served as an elementary
9 school principal at Northbrook and Highland Park School
10 Districts; and
 
11     WHEREAS, He was a school board member for Elmwood Park Unit
12 District 401; and
 
13     WHEREAS, He was a Vernon Township Trustee from 1973 through
14 1977, and has served as Vernon Township Supervisor since 1977;
15 and
 
16     WHEREAS, He served in the United States Army and United
17 States Army Reserves, earning the rank of Sergeant; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Bill and his wife, Patricia, have been married
19 since 1958, and have three children and five grandchildren; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, In his more than 26 years as a lawmaker, William
2 Peterson has represented his constituents in Springfield with
3 determination and class, earning the respect and admiration of
4 his colleagues on both sides of the aisle; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Legislators and staff alike know and appreciate
6 Senator Peterson for his warmth, his kindness, and his easy
7 smile; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
9 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate William
10 Peterson on his retirement from the Illinois General Assembly
11 after more than 26 years of honorable and dedicated service;
12 and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and
14 resolution be presented to William Peterson with our
15 friendship, our gratitude for his hard work, and our best
16 wishes for his future endeavors.