HR0899 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0899 LRB103 42525 MST 75758 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, A native of Illinois, Brent Hassert was born on October 29, 1952 in Joliet, where he enjoyed his childhood; and

WHEREAS, Brent Hassert studied horticulture at America's first community college, Joliet Junior College, in preparation for the first half of his career as a landscape contractor; along with his brother, Earl, he was the co-owner of Hassert Landscaping; and

WHEREAS, The population boom of the 1970s and 1980s in Brent Hassert's home, Will County, brought many community challenges; as a leader among his neighbors, he stood for election to the Will County Board in 1986, becoming a county commissioner and executive pro tem; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the population boom, affirmed by the United States Census of 1990, a new Illinois House district, the 83rd Representative District, was created to center on the fast-growing communities of Romeoville, Plainfield, and Lockport; increasingly aware of the challenges facing this region as part of the overall governance of the State of Illinois, Brent Hassert put his name forward as a State lawmaker; and

WHEREAS, In March 1992, with 4,877 votes, Brent Hassert was chosen by his Republican neighbors as their party's candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives from the new 83rd Representative District; in November of that year, he was elected, with 24,804 votes, to be the first-ever state representative from the newly-created district, with a 59.8% landslide majority; and

WHEREAS, With his experience as a county leader, Brent Hassert was quickly chosen to be the Republican vice spokesperson on the House Committee on Counties & Townships; and

WHEREAS, When he and his fellow Republicans achieved a House majority in the 89th Illinois General Assembly, Brent Hassert was chosen as vice chairman of the Committee on Environment & Energy, building a bipartisan coalition that led to consensus on restructuring the electricity industry of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Brent Hassert was continually elected and re-elected by his neighbors to the Illinois House of Representatives for a total of 16 years in office, from 1992 until 2008; and

WHEREAS, As gaming became a significant industry in Joliet, Brent Hassert became the minority spokesperson of the House Committee on Gaming, where he helped shape the laws that governed the fast-growing field of Illinois riverboat casinos; a key law enacted during this period in June 1999 helped create jobs by ending the requirement that these Joliet casinos physically cruise up and down the Des Plaines River; and

WHEREAS, As the governance of the State of Illinois became more complex and complicated, Brent Hassert became aware that more and more of our State laws were being implemented through complicated new rules and regulations promulgated by State administrative agencies; serving as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), he helped maintain Illinois General Assembly oversight on these rules and the processes used to draft and enforce them; and

WHEREAS, During this time, Brent Hassert steadily rose in the estimation of his Illinois House colleagues, especially his Republican colleagues, achieving for six years, 2003 to 2009, the rank of Deputy House Minority Leader; and

WHEREAS, In the year 2008, Illinois Democrats helped to nominate a senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, to be President of the United States; the Obama campaign created great enthusiasm among the members of his party in Illinois, and in January 2009, Brent Hassert returned to private life, leaving a legacy of dedication and service to his district; and

WHEREAS, As a community leader in Plainfield and as an acknowledged expert in Illinois law and governance, Brent Hassert now entered a new phase of his career as the owner and operator of Brent Hassert Consulting, advocating on behalf of local governments; and

WHEREAS, Throughout these career changes, Brent Hassert relied upon his wife, Lee Ann Goodson, his brother, Earl, his son, Justin Hassert, his son, Josh Hassert, their son, Matthew Goodson, their daughter, Alexandra Goodson Ruikis, and their daughters-in-law and son-in-law; and

WHEREAS, A growing headcount of seven grandchildren, Kyle Hassert, Jena Hassert, Colton Hassert, Carson Hassert, Aria Phoenix, Avery Ruikis, and Bailey Ruikis, brought happiness to Brent Hassert; and

WHEREAS, On August 29, 2024, Brent Hassert passed away, leaving behind a body of Illinois laws, his saddened friends and neighbors, and his bereaved family; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the loss of Representative and Deputy Republican Leader Brent Hassert of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Brent Hassert's wife, Lee Ann Goodson, as a symbol of our deepest sympathies.