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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Monique D. Davis retired as the |
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representative for Illinois House District 27 on January 6, 2017, |
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drawing to a close an outstanding career in state government that |
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spanned nearly three decades; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Chicago, Monique Davis graduated from |
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Calumet High School and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees |
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from Chicago State University; she went on to teach in the city's |
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public school system for 18 years before becoming an administrator; |
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her engagement with politics began with her work on the campaigns of |
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U.S. Representative Gus Savage and Chicago mayor Harold Washington, |
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and in 1986, she was elected to represent the South Side of Chicago |
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in the Illinois House; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of her exemplary 29-year tenure as a |
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state legislator, Representative Davis gained a reputation as a |
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tireless advocate for education through her efforts to increase |
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funding for schools, support local libraries, and improve the |
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infrastructure at Chicago State University, and she led the charge |
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in addressing the HIV crisis plaguing the African American |
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community; she also served on the Public Utilities, Elementary and |
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Secondary Education, Juvenile Justice Reform, and State Government |
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Administration Committees, among many others; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2003, Representative Davis sponsored a bill |
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requiring insurance companies in Illinois to publish all their |
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records from the 19th century pertaining to slaves, making a wealth |
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of genealogical information available to African American |
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families; that same year, she and then-State Senator Barack Obama |
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cosponsored legislation mandating that all interrogations for |
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homicide investigations be videotaped and that the race of all |
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people stopped for traffic violations be recorded in order to help |
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prevent racial profiling; and |
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WHEREAS, Strong in her faith, Representative Davis is a |
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member of Trinity United Church of Christ; retirement will allow |
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her to spend more time with her treasured family, which includes her |
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two children, Robert and Monique; and |
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WHEREAS, Through her dedication, hard work, and commitment to |
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public service, Representative Monique Davis has greatly benefited |
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the people of Illinois and earned the respect and admiration of her |
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fellow legislators, and she may indeed reflect with pride on her |
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record of achievement as an elected official; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend the Honorable Monique D. Davis for her |
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outstanding service as a member of the Illinois Legislature and |
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extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Davis as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |