Full Text of SR1344 100th General Assembly
SR1344 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, State Senator Donne E. Trotter has proudly | 3 | | represented the 17th Legislative Senate District including the | 4 | | communities of Chicago's South Side and Will and Kankakee | 5 | | counties in the State of Illinois; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter is a lifelong Illinois resident; | 7 | | he was born in Cairo and moved to Chicago at an early age, | 8 | | where he
currently resides; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter has a long lineage in Chicago, | 10 | | dating back to 1900 when his great-grandfather,
a Choctaw | 11 | | Indian by the name of Granville Trotter, came from Oklahoma; | 12 | | and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter's parents, James and Carita | 14 | | Trotter, were activists, taking part in the Civil Rights | 15 | | movement
and influencing him to be active in the community; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter began his work in public service | 17 | | as a student at Chicago State University; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter was part of the first graduating | 19 | | class at the Loyola University School of Law to
earn a master's | 20 | | degree in Health Policy of Jurisprudence; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter's work in politics began with his | 2 | | friend and neighbor, Congressman Ralph Metcalfe's 1974
| 3 | | campaign; with his campaign skills and knowledge of the Chicago | 4 | | area, he became a
legislative assistant for State | 5 | | Representative Lewis A.H. Caldwell; he helped register | 6 | | thousands of voters during Harold Washington's 1983 mayoral
| 7 | | campaign; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter succeeded Carol Moseley-Braun in | 9 | | the Illinois House of Representatives in
1988, serving for four | 10 | | years; he was sworn in as a state senator in 1993 after a | 11 | | successful run for an open seat; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter has been an influential and | 13 | | positive presence in his diverse district, including
parts of | 14 | | the City of Chicago, Will County, and Kankakee County; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter played a major role in health care | 16 | | for the people in the 17th district and
throughout the State, | 17 | | having extensive experience as a hospital administrator at Cook | 18 | | County Hospital
and the Cook County Department of Health; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter initially joined the Senate as a | 20 | | point person on health care and under the
leadership of Senate | 21 | | President Emil Jones Jr.; he was encouraged to join the |
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| 1 | | Appropriations Committee to
better learn the budget process; | 2 | | and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter has taken on leadership roles in | 4 | | the Senate, including Assistant Majority
Leader, Chairman of | 5 | | the Appropriations Committee, and chief budget negotiator for | 6 | | the Democrats; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter earned a seat at the negotiation | 8 | | table not just on health and budget issues,
but on all policy | 9 | | issues; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter has earned the respect of other | 11 | | elected officials throughout the State of
Illinois, fighting to | 12 | | enforce parity in education, health care, and working to create | 13 | | economic development
in disadvantaged communities; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter spearheaded major health care and | 15 | | social service initiatives, including
KidCare/FamilyCare and | 16 | | SeniorCare initiatives, which extended health benefits to over | 17 | | 270,000 low-income
children, parents, and seniors previously | 18 | | without coverage; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter advocated for the School of | 20 | | Pharmacy at Chicago State University; during the most recent | 21 | | budget impasse, he fought to keep Chicago State University open
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| 1 | | along with other state universities; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter prioritized public safety, | 3 | | ushering in the first comprehensive law banning
assault | 4 | | weapons; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter has helped save many newborn lives | 6 | | by sponsoring the Safe Haven Act,
where babies can be | 7 | | surrendered to hospitals, firehouses, and other safe havens | 8 | | without fear of criminal
charges; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter was the first chairman of the | 10 | | Illinois Legislative Joint Black Caucus; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter has held leadership positions on | 12 | | the national level with the National
Conference of State | 13 | | Legislators, the Council of State Government, the National | 14 | | Caucus of Native
American State Legislators, and National Black | 15 | | Caucus of State Legislators; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter highly valued mentoring the | 17 | | younger generation of professionals in both
elected and | 18 | | non-elected positions; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Senator Trotter is a the loving father of three | 20 | | daughters, Gina, Tasha, and Toni; one son, Elijah;
and six |
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| 1 | | grandchildren; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Upon his retirement, Senator Trotter will | 3 | | continue to use his voice as an advocate; he will
also enjoy | 4 | | his retirement with his lovely wife, Rose, traveling the globe, | 5 | | walking the dogs, puffing on a
stogie, and with endless hours | 6 | | of reading; therefore, be it
| 7 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | 8 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank State Senator | 9 | | Donne E. Trotter for his dedicated service to the people of | 10 | | Illinois and honor him with this
resolution; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | presented to Senator Trotter
with our best wishes for all his | 13 | | future endeavors.
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