SR1059 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Illinois State Senator Edward D. Maloney, a proud Chicago "South-Sider", was born in Evergreen Park; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney attended Lewis University and earned his bachelor's degree in political science; his passion for education led him to later earn his master's degree in education from Chicago State University; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney served as a teacher, guidance counselor, administrator, and coach at the Oak Lawn High School; he also served as a manager and professional developer for the Chicago Park District; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney's passion for education exemplified itself through his position as Dean and Principal of Brother Rice High School in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney began his career as a legislator when he served in the 87th General Assembly as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1992 to 1993; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney's desire to assist the citizens of Chicago's Southside led to his bid for election to the Illinois State Senate in 2002, where he has served the families of the 18th District; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney's background in education prepared him for his role as Chairperson for the Senate Higher Education Committee, which he has chaired since 2005; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney has brought real world and professional education experience to the Senate, advocating for innovative ways to assist students and make college more affordable through the Monetary Award Program; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney helped the cause of education by sponsoring legislative initiatives that expand student access to colleges and universities by lowering the age requirement for those taking the General Equivalency Test (GED) and allowing Illinois residents to rehabilitate their defaulted student loans; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney has sought to reduce the sharp decline in the number of professional nurses across the State by proposing legislation that would provide scholarship incentives to attract more individuals to the profession; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney has served on and led numerous other committees during his tenure in the Senate, including the Senate Committees on Labor (Vice Chairperson), Appropriations I, Appropriations II, Redistricting, Transportation, Consumer Protection, Deficit Reduction, Local Government, Labor and Commerce (Vice Chairperson), and Revenue; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney has a strong record of protecting children by proposing harsher punishments for school employees who failed to disclose their sexually-based offenses, while also educating children about internet safety and the harmful effects of steroid abuse; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney has sought to ensure the health of Illinois citizens by proposing and passing legislation increasing emergency resources for persons with disabilities and criminalizing fraudulent health insurance policies; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney has always been a champion of evaluating educational programs on their performance measures and seeking to better prepare educators for the struggles within the classroom through teacher-to-teacher mentoring programs; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney was named "Legislature of the Year" in 2008 by the Illinois State Crime Commission and the Associated Firefighters of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney and his wife, Norine, currently live in Chicago, where he raised his 4 sons, Brian, Matthew, Daniel, and Martin; he has also been blessed with 10 amazing and energetic grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Senator Maloney's retirement from the Illinois Senate will not only deeply affect the performance of the Senate Softball Team, but will more importantly affect everyone who serves here as we will lose his wisdom, humor, and deep dedication; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Senator Edward D. Maloney for his years of service to the people of Illinois and honor him with this resolution; and be it further

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