SJ0017 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0017 LRB101 10837 JWD 55971 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act requires that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall diligently search out qualified candidates for the office of Legislative Inspector General and make recommendations to the General Assembly, which shall appoint a Legislative Inspector General by joint resolution; and

WHEREAS, Subsection (b) of Section 25-10 further states that the Legislative Inspector General shall be selected solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability and sets forth the necessary educational and employment criteria; and

WHEREAS, The Legislative Ethics Commission at its December 2018 meeting voted unanimously to recommend that the General Assembly appoint Carol M. Pope as Legislative Inspector General; and

WHEREAS, Justice Pope has led an exemplary career of public service that more than qualifies her to serve as the Legislative Inspector General; and

WHEREAS, A native of Illinois, Justice Pope was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1979 and has dedicated her professional life to work that has demonstrated her practical commitment to integrity time and again; and

WHEREAS, After clerking for the chief judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, she served as Menard County State's Attorney from 1984 to 1991; and

WHEREAS, Recognizing her ability, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed her to serve as a circuit judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, a post the voters elected her to in 1992 and re-elected her to in 1998, 2004, and 2010; and

WHEREAS, While still a circuit judge, the Illinois Supreme Court assigned Justice Pope to serve on the appellate court of the Fourth Judicial District in 2008; and

WHEREAS, Justice Pope was elected an appellate judge of the Fourth Judicial District in her own right in 2012 and retired from the appellate court in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Justice Pope's extensive history of experience, appointments, professional activities, and publications uniquely qualifies her for the position of Legislative Inspector General, an office that necessitates both keen intellect and insight into the personal and professional motivations of persons acting in the public realm; and

WHEREAS, Justice Pope continues to demonstrate her commitment to integrity in public service as a member of the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, providing ethics advice to judges throughout Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we appoint Carol M. Pope as Legislative Inspector General in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, endorsing her wholeheartedly as surpassing all statutory requirements and in full confidence that her character and integrity will enhance the office of Legislative Inspector General and benefit the administration of the ethical foundation on which Illinois legislators and legislative employees operate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, the appointment of Carol M. Pope takes effect upon the adoption of this joint resolution by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, the certification of this joint resolution by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, and the filing of this joint resolution with the Secretary of State or March 1, 2019, whichever is later; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 25-10 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, the term of Legislative Inspector General Pope shall run through June 30, 2023; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to Carol M. Pope and the Legislative Ethics Commission.