Bill Text: IL HR1387 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Congratulates Rep. Kent Gaffney on his time in the General Assembly.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-01-08 - Resolution Adopted [HR1387 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-HR1387-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are pleased to congratulate our friend and | ||||||
4 | colleague, Illinois State Representative Kent Gaffney, on the | ||||||
5 | occasion of his retirement and thank him for his service to the | ||||||
6 | people of the State of Illinois; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney has been married to his | ||||||
8 | wife, Elizabeth for 15 years after first meeting her while they | ||||||
9 | both worked at the Capitol on legislative issues, and they are | ||||||
10 | now the proud parents of 2 wonderful boys, Adam and Alexander; | ||||||
11 | and
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12 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney graduated from | ||||||
13 | Williamsville High School prior to attending and graduating | ||||||
14 | from Purdue University with a bachelor of arts degree in | ||||||
15 | political science; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney began his career in public | ||||||
17 | service in 1988, working for the Illinois Senate during college | ||||||
18 | summers and working in the private sector before coming back to | ||||||
19 | public service in 1997 by taking a position on the House | ||||||
20 | Republican Staff; there he worked on major issues and pieces of | ||||||
21 | legislation including the deregulation of the utility industry | ||||||
22 | and the funding and construction of the new Chicago Bears |
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1 | stadium; and
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2 | WHEREAS, After years of hard work and dedicated service, he | ||||||
3 | became the Director of Appropriations for the House Republican | ||||||
4 | Caucus in January 2001, and as Director of Appropriations, | ||||||
5 | Representative Gaffney was the "go-to" person for all issues | ||||||
6 | regarding Illinois appropriations; as a leadership staff | ||||||
7 | member, he aided in developing policy positions for the caucus | ||||||
8 | and spent over a decade negotiating the State's budget with 3 | ||||||
9 | Governors and the legislative leaders of the other caucuses, | ||||||
10 | always advocating for fiscally responsible and balanced | ||||||
11 | budgets; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney was appointed to serve as | ||||||
13 | State Representative for the 52nd District on July, 4, 2011, | ||||||
14 | after the untimely death of his long-time friend and colleague | ||||||
15 | Representative Mark Beaubien; and
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16 | WHEREAS, As State Representative, Kent Gaffney sponsored | ||||||
17 | numerous pieces of legislation, including PA 97-0565, which | ||||||
18 | helps to relieve local merchants of government regulations | ||||||
19 | regarding caustic substances, and PA 97-0982, which helps | ||||||
20 | relieve the cost on local government when a State's Attorney is | ||||||
21 | absent; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney served as an advocate for |
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1 | many causes, such as the abolishment of legislative | ||||||
2 | scholarships, pension reform, and the victims' bill of rights; | ||||||
3 | and he continued budget policy work and was appointed by the | ||||||
4 | Governor to be the only House Republican member to serve on the | ||||||
5 | Budgeting for Results Commission; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney was very active in the | ||||||
7 | local community, he served as host to several town hall forums, | ||||||
8 | including those in Island Lake, Lake in the Hills, and Crystal | ||||||
9 | Lake, and recognized and congratulated the Prairie Ridge | ||||||
10 | football team for winning the CLASS 6A football championship, | ||||||
11 | the Cary-Grove volleyball team for taking 2nd place at the 4A | ||||||
12 | State Championship, and mourning the death of local leader | ||||||
13 | Lester Macko, former fire chief of the Cary Fire District; and
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14 | WHEREAS, In recognition of his clear commitment to public | ||||||
15 | service and his belief in working towards bi-partisan | ||||||
16 | solutions, Representative Gaffney was nominated and selected | ||||||
17 | to be one of 40 members of the 2012 Inaugural Class of the | ||||||
18 | Edgar Fellows Program; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Representative Gaffney serves as a model of hard | ||||||
20 | work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of | ||||||
21 | Illinois; therefore, be it
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22 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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1 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
2 | we congratulate our friend and colleague, Illinois State | ||||||
3 | Representative Kent Gaffney, on the occasion of his retirement, | ||||||
4 | thank him for his service to the people of the State, and wish | ||||||
5 | him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it | ||||||
6 | further
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7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
8 | presented to Representative Kent Gaffney as a symbol of our | ||||||
9 | esteem and respect.
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