SJ0005 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0005 LRB094 07718 CSA 37894 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, the first American President born in Illinois; as a youth, he worked as a lifeguard at Lowell Park in Dixon, and he graduated from Eureka College in Eureka; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Wilson Reagan, a man of humble background, worked throughout his life serving freedom and advancing the public good, having been employed as an entertainer, union leader, corporate spokesman, Governor of California, and President of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan served with honor and distinction for two terms as the 40th President of the United States of America, the second of which he earned the confidence of three-fifths of the electorate and was victorious in 49 of the 50 states in the general election, a record unsurpassed in the history of American presidential elections; and

WHEREAS, In 1981, when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated President, he inherited a disillusioned nation shackled by rampant inflation and high unemployment; and

WHEREAS, During Mr. Reagan's presidency he worked in a bipartisan manner to enact his bold agenda of restoring accountability and common sense to government which led to an unprecedented economic expansion and opportunity for millions of Americans; and

WHEREAS, President Reagan's commitment to our armed forces contributed to the restoration of pride in America, her values and those cherished by the free world, and prepared America's Armed Forces to meet 21st Century challenges; and

WHEREAS, President Reagan's vision of "peace through strength" led to the end of the Cold War and the ultimate demise of the Soviet Union, guaranteeing basic human rights for millions of people; and

WHEREAS, February 6, 2005 will be the 94th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth and the first since his passing; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim and recognize February 6, 2005 and subsequent yearly anniversaries thereafter as "Ronald Reagan Day" and urge all the citizens of Illinois to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.