Bill Text: IL HJR0140 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Thanks Mike Lawrence for his many years of service and the work he has done to shape many generations involved in public service in the State of Illinois.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-04-04 - Resolution Adopted [HJR0140 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HJR0140-Engrossed.html

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish
to congratulate Mike Lawrence on the occasion of his retirement
and thank him for his many decades of service to the people of
Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence recently left his fourth career,
stepping down as advisor to the Institute of Government and
Public Affairs at the University of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence was born in Chicago and raised in
Galesburg, where his keen mind and attention to details were
honed at the Sunday dinner table by his history
educator-trained father, Mark, and his mother, Gladys, who
encouraged debate that included Mike and his younger sister,
Susie, and challenged them to support their comments by facts;
and
WHEREAS, Mike took these lessons learned to own and operate
his own newspaper at the age of 11; the two to four page
Lawrence Weekly had a circulation of 20, with the copies
created by Mike using his well-known, aggressive hunt and peck
style on his typewriter, making multiple copies with carbon
paper in the days before copy machines; it was during this time
that he earned the nickname "Scoop"; and

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WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence continued his journalism career,
earning his first byline at the Galesburg Register-Mail,
reporting on little league baseball games at the age of 14; his
first paycheck for reporting came at the Register-Mail when he
was 16; he continued to sharpen his writing skills as Sports
Editor of his junior high newspaper and Editor-in-Chief of his
high school newspaper, where he interviewed Governor William
Stratton in what would be the first of his many interactions
with this and future chief executives of the State of Illinois;
he was also Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper at Knox
College in Galesburg, where he received his post-secondary
education and graduated with a bachelor's degree in literature
in 1964; and
WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence went on to work in journalism for 25
years; during his newspaper career, he served stints as
Managing Editor and Editorial Page Editor of the Quad-City
Times; specializing in Illinois State government and politics,
he wrote a political column that was syndicated to more than 40
newspapers in Illinois; he capped his newspaper career in the
Springfield Statehouse, opening a bureau for Lee Enterprises
and finishing his first career, as journalist, as the
Statehouse Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times; he was known
as a deeply probing, yet fair, investigative reporter; and

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WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence became Press Secretary to
then-Secretary of State Jim Edgar in 1987, following him to the
Governor's office in 1991 and continuing to serve as his Press
Secretary and one of his closest advisors; the Lawrence-Edgar
relationship was built on mutual trust and respect, with
Lawrence feeling that as an advisor it was important to be
"frank, blunt, and even argumentative with the boss"; that
relationship led to a strong friendship which continues today;
and
WHEREAS, In 1997, Mike Lawrence joined the Paul Simon
Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University
Carbondale as Associate Director; he became Director of the
Institute in 2004, succeeding its founding director, the late
Paul Simon; while at the Institute, he taught both journalism
and political science classes and mentored countless students;
and
WHEREAS, In 2008, Mike Lawrence retired as Director of the
Paul Simon Public Policy Institute; he then used his new-found
time to reinvigorate his investigative reporter skills,
writing a column for the commentary pages of the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, the State Journal-Register, the Quad City
Times, the Champaign News Gazette, the Southern Illinoisan, and
other newspapers; he was also sought out as an Illinois
government and public policy speaker and advisor; and

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WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence has been recognized for his
tremendous contributions to journalism and State government;
he was honored by the Associated Press Editors Association in
2003 for his exemplary service to other journalists and
newspapers in Illinois and received the Paul Simon Award for
Public Service from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
in 2006; he also received the Illinoisan of the Year award in
2008 from the Illinois News Broadcaster Association; and
WHEREAS, In 1998, Mike Lawrence received an honorary Doctor
of Laws degree from his alma mater, Knox College; he also
served on the Illinois Courts Commission, which decides cases
in which disciplinary charges have been brought against judges,
and was also one of the first non-judges appointed to serve on
the commission; and
WHEREAS, Mike Lawrence has served as a key advisor to
Governor Edgar at the Institute of Government and Public
Affairs at the University of Illinois since 2011; he was
instrumental in helping create the Edgar Fellows program in
2012, choosing up to 40 up-and-comers in Illinois public policy
for intensive executive training and on-going relationship
building opportunities each year since then; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

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NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we thank Mike Lawrence for his
many years of service and the work he has done to shape many
generations involved in public service in the State of
Illinois, providing a shining example of hard work, integrity,
and thoughtful insights, and wish him all the best in his
future endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Mike Lawrence, his wife, Marianne, his son, Matt,
and his daughter, Katy, as an expression of our congratulations
and appreciation for a job well done.