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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Representative Raymond Poe was born in Lincoln on
3March 26, 1944 to a family that was producing food for World
4War II and raising children for the challenging world that
5would follow victory in the war; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Although Rep. Poe graduated from DeVry Institute
7of Technology in Chicago in 1963, he has always put Central
8Illinois and its farm heritage first, returning to Sangamon
9County to take on the increasingly challenging demands of
10modern agriculture; and
 
11    WHEREAS, As devoted to agriculture as Rep. Poe was, he has
12dedicated his life to serving his neighbors; he served as a
13member and eventually as President of the Williamsville School
14Board and as President of his local farm bureau and Lincolnland
15Farm Supply; and
 
16    WHEREAS, On March 15, 1994, the Republican voters of the
1799th Representative District chose Rep. Poe to be their
18candidate as a challenger for a seat in the Illinois House of
19Representatives; and
 
20    WHEREAS, As a freshman candidate on November 8, 1994, Rep.
21Poe was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives,

 

 

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1becoming a member of the 99th General Assembly and beginning
2what would be the first of 11 terms of office as an elected
3State lawmaker; and
 
4    WHEREAS, As a member of the House majority and then the
5minority, Rep. Poe has always worked to bring all sides
6together so that important issues can be discussed; he served
7for many years as a member, and eventually as Co-Chairman, of a
8key General Assembly Joint Committee, the Commission on
9Government Forecasting and Accountability, reflecting the high
10and increasing respect granted to him by members of both
11political parties and both chambers of the Illinois General
12Assembly; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Rep. Poe became famous around the Capitol and
14throughout the State for his barbecue, which in recent years
15has become a staple of long session days each spring; and
 
16    WHEREAS, As both a farmer and an expert in agricultural
17policy, Rep. Poe, upon taking office, was appointed to the
18House Agriculture and Conservation Committee; he returned to
19this panel in 2013 in the 99th General Assembly, widely
20respected by the entire farming and agricultural community for
21his patient expertise; and
 
22    WHEREAS, The House of Representatives was brought to both

 

 

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1joy and sadness in November of 2015 by the news that one of its
2most respected members, the 11-term Rep. Poe of Sangamon
3County, would be moving on as the newly-appointed Director of
4the Illinois Department of Agriculture; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives will
6miss Rep. Poe as a friend; we will miss the generosity of him
7and his family; and most of all, we will miss the shining
8example of moral and physical courage that he has demonstrated
9to his neighbors, friends, and colleagues over the course of
10his career and in the years of 2014 and 2015; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Although we recognize that Rep. Poe is and always
12will be our friend, we also know that foremost in his heart are
13the members of his family: his wife, Carol, his children, his
14grandchildren, and his beloved mother, Sarah, to whom this
15House earlier this year wished a happy 99th birthday;
16therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19that we commend the Honorable Raymond Poe for his service to
20the Illinois House of Representatives; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we congratulate Rep. Poe upon his selection
22as Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, with the

 

 

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1knowledge that Illinois farmers can have no better friend in a
2challenging time; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we urge Director Poe to visit the Illinois
4House of Representatives often, to share the priorities of his
5Department and to share his family recipe for fried chicken;
6and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to
8the Honorable Raymond Poe and his wife, Carol Poe.