92_SR0600
LRB9218488HShs
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Patrick J. O'Malley was elected in 1992 to
3 represent the 18th District in the Illinois Senate, and
4 reelected in 1996 and 2000; and
5 WHEREAS, Pat served as a member of the Board of Trustees
6 for the Palos Fire Protection District from 1985 to 1994,
7 serving as Board President since 1987; he served as an
8 elected member of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the
9 Finance Committee for Moraine Valley Community College from
10 1989 to 1992; and
11 WHEREAS, As a strong proponent for tax relief and quality
12 education, Senator O'Malley is a leading advocate for
13 revising the current state school-aid formula to make sure
14 local schools receive their fair share of state education
15 dollars; he led the charge for a comprehensive study of the
16 State's tax system to lay the groundwork for meaningful tax
17 reform; and
18 WHEREAS, He continuously works to restore local control
19 and promote economic development by curtailing state and
20 federal mandates on schools, municipalities, businesses, and
21 individuals; and
22 WHEREAS, He has sponsored legislation curtailing the
23 illegal activities of gangs and drug dealers, strengthening
24 the ability of local law enforcement officials to curb gun
25 violence in their communities and schools, and holding
26 persons civilly liable for selling illegal drugs and alcohol
27 to children; and
28 WHEREAS, Senator O'Malley has authored numerous laws
29 reforming the Cook County property assessment system and
30 giving owners more rights in appealing their property taxes;
31 and
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1 WHEREAS, He has championed and secured funding for major
2 regional infrastructure improvements to address safety
3 concerns and ease congestion, including the intersection
4 reconstruction of 127th Street and Cicero Avenue,
5 consistently the State's most dangerous intersection, and
6 construction of an interchange between I-57 and I-294, a
7 gaping hole in the state's transportation infrastructure; and
8 WHEREAS, The 18th District Senator is a leading advocate
9 for improving the collection and enforcement of child support
10 to help keep children and their parents out of poverty; he
11 has led efforts to protect innocent human life by advancing
12 legislation to preserve and protect children being born alive
13 during abortion procedures; and
14 WHEREAS, His Project Exile Illinois initiative, which
15 encourages the federal prosecution of all persons who
16 illegally use firearms in crimes against others, will make
17 Illinois the toughest state in the Union against criminals
18 who commit crimes with guns by requiring a minimum mandatory
19 five-year prison sentence in a federal penitentiary; and
20 WHEREAS, His "straw purchases" law cracks down on persons
21 who buy firearms intending to give them to others legally
22 forbidden to own guns; and
23 WHEREAS, Since coming to Springfield, he has pushed to
24 hold railroad companies accountable for blocked railroad
25 crossings and related safety issues; citizens throughout
26 northeastern Illinois have been seriously inconvenienced and
27 their lives endangered by crossing blockages, idling trains
28 in neighborhoods, increased noise level and frequency of the
29 blowing of train whistles; and
30 WHEREAS, The 18th District Senator has led efforts to
31 rein in abuses by pay day, car-title and predatory lenders;
32 and
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1 WHEREAS, He successfully led the fight to repeal the
2 state subsidy for garbage incinerator developers saving
3 Illinois taxpayers as much as $13 billion; and
4 WHEREAS, Pat was born October 22, 1950, in Evergreen
5 Park, graduated from St. Walter's Grammar School and Marist
6 High School; he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and a
7 master's degree in Finance from Purdue University, and a
8 Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School; and
9 WHEREAS, He and his wife, Mary Judith, have two children,
10 Brigid and Patrick, Jr., a daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, and
11 two grandchildren; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
13 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Pat
14 O'Malley as he leaves the Illinois Senate after 10 years of
15 dedicated service and wish him well in all his future
16 endeavors; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and
18 resolution be presented to Pat O'Malley with our thanks for a
19 job well done.