Bill Text: IL HJR0099 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Designates Route 29 from Cardinal Hill Road in Rochester to East 1600 North Road in Taylorville as the "Congressman Rodney Davis Superhighway".

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-11-15 - Referred to Rules Committee [HJR0099 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HJR0099-Introduced.html

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HJ0099 LRB102 29279 MST 41239 r
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General
Assembly pays honor and respect to the truly great individuals
who have served our country and, in doing so, have worked hard
to improve and enhance the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Rodney Lee Davis was born in Des
Moines, Iowa on January 5, 1970; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis and his family moved to
Taylorville when he was a child; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis graduated from Taylorville High
School in 1988 and received his Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science from Millikin University in 1992; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis worked as the projects director
in Congressman John Shimkus' district office for 16 years; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis was elected to the United
States House of Representative in 2012 to represent the 13th
District in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, During his time in Congress, Congressman Davis
established himself as an effective lawmaker who could govern

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and work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass
legislation, even in a divided government; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis advocated for the priorities of
the 13th District and Illinois in Washington; since arriving
in Congress, he has served on both the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee and the Committee on Agriculture,
which allowed him to be a leader on issues essential to
commerce in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis worked to promote America's
national security and support the men and women of America's
armed forces through the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA); he also worked to promote Scott Air Force Base, which
is a vital part of the Metro East community and economy; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis successfully included language
in the U.S. House version of the 2023 NDAA to protect the C-40C
aircraft and the 932nd Airlift Wing flying mission at Scott
AFB; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis successfully passed his
Counting All Military Votes Act, which ensures that all
active-duty and deployed military personnel who wish to vote
will have their ballots mailed to their clerks in a timely
manner; and

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WHEREAS, Congressman Davis also successfully passed the
Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act, which reimburses travel costs
for families of service members who are traveling to obtain
the remains of their loved ones who lost their lives in the
line of duty; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis wrote and passed the Hire More
Heroes Act, which helps small businesses hire veterans by
amending the Affordable Care Act; it overwhelmingly passed the
U.S. House with more than 400 supporting votes and was signed
into law in July 2015; this, along with his bill, the EACH Act,
are some of the few pieces of legislation signed into law to
amend the Affordable Care Act; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, Congressman Davis successfully passed
legislation reforming the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to help level the
playing field for rural communities in Illinois and across the
country that are seeking federal aid for disasters; his
legislation, which was signed into law in October 2018,
requires FEMA to place greater consideration on the localized
impact of a natural disaster; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis is married to Shannon R. Davis
and has three children, Toryn, Clark, and Griffin; and

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WHEREAS, The expansion of Illinois Route 29 between
Taylorville and Rochester took over two decades of planning
and construction; and
WHEREAS, On December 23, 1992, Congressman Davis witnessed
the crash that took the life of Melody Traughber when her car
hit a slick spot on the two-lane road and slid into oncoming
traffic; and
WHEREAS, Melody Traughber was one of seven people killed
on Illinois 29 between Springfield and Taylorville from 1988
to 1995, and her death helped spur the creation of Project 29,
a grassroots citizens group that lobbied for the widening of
the road to four lanes; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Davis was instrumental in the
planning and public engagement that lead to the widening of
Route 29; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Route 29 from
Cardinal Hill Road in Rochester to East 1600 North Road in
Taylorville as the "Congressman Rodney Davis Superhighway";
and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
is requested to erect, at suitable locations consistent with
State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
giving notice of the name of the "Congressman Rodney Davis
Superhighway"; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
presented to Congressman Davis, Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry,
Rochester Village President Joseph C. Suerdieck, and the
Secretary of Transportation.