HR1310 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1310 LRB100 24054 MST 43207 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate State Rep. Steven Andersson on his retirement and recognize his years of service to the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson was born in Midlothian on August 15, 1964; he and his wife, Nanette, have been residents of Geneva for 26 years; they have been married for 31 years and have two children, Matthew and Sarah; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson earned his bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University in 1986 and his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University in 1992, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson is a small business owner and has been a licensed attorney for more than two decades; he is a partner at the law firms of Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi and Andersson, P.C. and the Elder Law Center, P.C.; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson has a long-standing history of serving the local community; he served as a trustee and treasurer on the Geneva Library District Board in addition to being a Republican Precinct Committeeman for Geneva's 3rd Precinct; and

WHEREAS, Eager to continue his public service, Rep. Andersson was sworn in to serve the 65th Legislative District of the Illinois House of Representative on January 2, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson has been a strong advocate for mental health awareness during his service in the General Assembly, backing legislation to support mental health issues while promoting local initiatives in his 65th district community; and

WHEREAS, In a massive undertaking, Rep. Andersson worked to improve the criminal justice system as sponsor of House Bill 4584, making the fee structure for criminal and civil court cases more manageable and transparent for Illinois residents; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson is a champion of bipartisanship and worked diligently across the aisle; his support of the Equal Rights Amendment is a great example of this, and his advocacy has been integral in moving the initiative forward to secure equality for all women; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson led the bipartisan effort to pass a balanced State budget after 734 days of impasse; the agreed-upon, timely budget came together through good honest negotiations across party lines; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson has long supported historic preservation and proudly served as the Co-Chair of the Illinois Historic Preservation Caucus; in 2018, he was part of a bipartisan effort to create a new Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit to improve Illinois communities while retaining the culture and history of the State; his efforts for historic preservation culminated in being named Landmarks Illinois 2018 Legislator of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson is a supporter of the environment; he has been recognized annually by the Illinois Environmental Council for his commitment to environmental issues; he has also been a proponent of clean energy and held community forums to discuss the issue with constituents and interest groups; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson created Gold Star Family Day in Illinois through House Bill 4389 in the 99th General Assembly; this day serves as a day to honor and commemorate the entire families of the men and women who gave their lives while serving their country; an important day, this legislation gives military families the honor and recognition they truly deserve in Illinois and across the country; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson served as the voice of the caucus in his position as floor leader during the 100th General Assembly and proudly led meaningful debates in the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson was recognized by various organizations with awards for his work in the House of Representatives, such as the Purple Tie Award for Bi-Partisanship in 2018 by the Metro West Council of Government, the Illinois Association of School Social Workers Legislator of the Year, the Illinois Pork Producers Legislator of the Year, the American Institute of Architects-Illinois Legislator of the Year, and the Illinois Association of Park Districts Legislator of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson is dedicated to serving as the voice of his community; he led meaningful discussions with his constituent advocacy group, the 65th District Dialogue; he routinely visited local schools through the Principal for the Day Program; his annual summer reading program has been wildly popular among local students every year, and he happily welcomed countless Pages for the Day and school groups in Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Andersson has shown a great commitment to improving Illinois, through his advocacy for effective government reform and his compassion in serving his constituents throughout his time in the House of Representatives; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate State Rep. Steven Andersson on his retirement and recognize his years of service to the State of Illinois, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Andersson as a symbol of our respect and esteem.