HR1333 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1333 LRB100 24270 MST 43520 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor the tenure of our esteemed colleague, State Representative Litesa E. Wallace, and thank her for her dedicated service to our State and to the people of Rockford; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace was born on the South Side of Chicago and raised in the south suburb of Country Club Hills; she attended Western Illinois University, becoming the first person in her immediate family to complete a college degree; she subsequently completed a master's degree in applied family and child studies and a doctoral study in educational psychology at Northern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace applied her education as a therapist and educator, spending more than a decade counseling children and adults in need of mental health services; her passion for service led her to assist former State Rep. Charles E. Jefferson as a volunteer and later as chief of staff; and

WHEREAS, Upon Rep. Jefferson's retirement in 2014, Rep. Wallace succeeded him in service to the people of the 67th District; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace immediately championed an inclusive agenda that prioritized those who have been marginalized, those without a voice, and those who struggle and work several jobs to make ends meet; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace championed the well-being of children, passing into law a Foster Children's Bill of Rights, fighting to secure childcare assistance for working parents, and combatting childhood hunger by requiring schools to provide students a nutritious meal during the school day; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace prioritized the health and well-being of students by passing into law a new policy that requires schools to provide access to free feminine hygiene products in bathrooms; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace passionately fought against policies of discrimination and implicit racial bias, helping pass into law new training standards for educators and law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Concerned about the economic development of Rockford, Rep. Wallace successfully pushed for the extension of job-creating historic investment tax credit programs that have assisted in the revitalization of downtown Rockford; and

WHEREAS, Always mindful of the disadvantaged within her community, Rep. Wallace hosted multiple drives through her district office to provide clothing, food, hygiene products, and other essential items to those in need; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Wallace is an example of perseverance, dedication, and service to those who have served alongside her; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate and thank State Representative Litesa E. Wallace for her years of dedicated service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Wallace as an expression of our respect and esteem and with our best wishes for her future success.