SR0063 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0063 LRB104 11332 MST 21419 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to honor our colleague, State Senator Daniel "Dan" McConchie, on his esteemed service as a member of the Illinois General Assembly and to thank him for his dedication to the State and his community; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie grew up in rural Indiana as the oldest of four boys, joined the Army National Guard on his 17th birthday, and served for nine years in the infantry and military police while simultaneously going to college in Springfield, Missouri and then to graduate school outside of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie met his future wife, Milena, in Prague, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, and together, they raised two daughters; and

WHEREAS, Milena's childhood experiences growing up under an authoritarian communist government that put politicians and ideology over people inspired Senator McConchie to pursue a life of public service; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie worked in the non-profit sector as a public policy expert for 18 years before being asked to run for elected office and being elected as an Illinois State Senator; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, Senator McConchie was in a hit-and-run accident that left him with a spinal cord injury and no use of his legs, resulting in him becoming the first paraplegic to win a state-level office in Illinois when he ran for the Illinois Senate in 2016; and

WHEREAS, As a freshman legislator in 2017, Senator McConchie helped lead negotiations resulting in bipartisan legislation to establish a more equitable elementary and secondary education funding formula, and he was integral in creating the successful Invest in Kids scholarship program to give underprivileged children the opportunity to pursue a great education; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie's colleagues voted to elect him Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus in 2020 with a mandate to streamline operations and implement reforms to enable the caucus to better represent and serve the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie, believing that the people of Illinois deserved better than the existing status quo, implemented bold and strategic reforms of caucus operations and provided a strategic vision to guide staff efforts; and

WHEREAS, Under Senator McConchie's leadership, caucus staff were expected to collaborate, empowered to challenge decisions, and encouraged to think beyond the status quo; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie placed significant importance on community engagement and service opportunities, hosting dozens of in-district events for his constituents to have their voices heard, and providing caucus resources for all caucus members to do the same; and

WHEREAS, While serving as minority leader, Senator McConchie successfully fought against executive and legislative abuses of power, including government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, controversial executive appointments, and gerrymandered legislative and judicial maps; and

WHEREAS, During his time as a State Senator, Senator McConchie championed a myriad of issues, including expanded accessibility for the disabled, the right of hospitalized individuals to be with their families, and increased accountability for the unelected Prisoner Review Board; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie is a bold visionary, who, as Theodore Roosevelt said, dares greatly, with the courage, creativity, and discipline to turn dreams into reality; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie is a bold visionary, willing to put into action what others only dream of; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie has been a tireless public servant, laboring on behalf of the people of the 26 Senate District and the People of Illinois, mindful of the impact of public policy on the working families of this State; and

WHEREAS, Senator McConchie plans to continue his public service through advocacy for expanded accessibility for the disabled across the country; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator Dan McConchie for his dedicated service to the people of Illinois and his contributions to the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator McConchie as a symbol of our gratitude with our best wishes for his future endeavors.