Bill Text: IL HR0617 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes Billy Lawless, a citizen of the United States of America, for his decision to come to Illinois, make it his home, and employ many of his fellow Illinoisans.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-11-07 - Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock [HR0617 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HR0617-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Billy Lawless, a native of Galway, the unofficial | ||||||
3 | capital of western Ireland, has always
been interested in | ||||||
4 | politics, and ran as a Fine Gael candidate for the Galway City | ||||||
5 | Council in 1991;
after being defeated by the future President | ||||||
6 | of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, he moved from Galway
to Chicago | ||||||
7 | in 1998 to continue his successful career as a hospitality | ||||||
8 | proprietor; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Billy Lawless is now the owner of numerous dining | ||||||
10 | places in the Chicago area; in this capacity he began his | ||||||
11 | service in 2010 as a member of the Executive Committee of the | ||||||
12 | Illinois
Restaurant Association Board of Directors; his fourth | ||||||
13 | place of hospitality, Chicago's Beacon Tavern,
opened in May of | ||||||
14 | 2016; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Continuing his interest in political action, | ||||||
16 | Billy Lawless has become a leading voice in
Illinois for | ||||||
17 | Irish-American relations and for the well-being of Irish men | ||||||
18 | and women living in the
United States; and
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19 | WHEREAS, During the course of this advocacy, Billy Lawless | ||||||
20 | was honored by Chicago Irish
Immigrant Support in April of | ||||||
21 | 2011; and
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1 | WHEREAS, In honor of his continued support for closer | ||||||
2 | relations between Illinois and Ireland, and
particularly | ||||||
3 | between the sister cities of Chicago and the City of Galway, | ||||||
4 | Billy Lawless was granted
the status of Honorary Freeman of the | ||||||
5 | City of Galway in December of 2014; he was awarded an
honorary | ||||||
6 | doctorate in June of 2015 by the National University of Ireland | ||||||
7 | at Galway; and
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8 | WHEREAS, On May 11, 2016, Taoiseach Enda Kenny honored | ||||||
9 | Billy Lawless with the unprecedented status of overseas member | ||||||
10 | of the "Seanad Eireann", the Irish Senate in Dublin; and
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11 | WHEREAS, In his joint capacity as a successful business | ||||||
12 | person and an advocate for the
immigrant community, Billy | ||||||
13 | Lawless has served as co-founder and chairman of the Chicago | ||||||
14 | Celts for
Immigration Reform, as vice president of the Illinois | ||||||
15 | Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee
Rights, and as a founding | ||||||
16 | board member and leader of the Illinois Business Immigration | ||||||
17 | Coalition; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Billy Lawless and his wife, Anne Lawless, became | ||||||
19 | United States citizens in July of 2014; and
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20 | WHEREAS, As a citizen, Billy Lawless continues to advocate | ||||||
21 | for continued U.S. residency for many
hard-working people who | ||||||
22 | are performing essential tasks here in America; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The natives of Galway have substantial reason to | ||||||
2 | feel the ties between Ireland and the
United States; the | ||||||
3 | western Irish city was at the epicenter of the Great Hunger of | ||||||
4 | 1845-1849, an event
that led to the decision of more than one | ||||||
5 | million Irish men, women, and children to seek new lives in
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6 | North America; many of the boats that carried these people left | ||||||
7 | Galway's harbor, westward-bound as
part of a movement of | ||||||
8 | peoples that helped make Chicago and the United States what | ||||||
9 | they are today; therefore, be it
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10 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
11 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
12 | recognize Billy Lawless, a citizen of the United States of | ||||||
13 | America, for his decision to come to Illinois, make it his | ||||||
14 | home, and employ many of his fellow Illinoisans; and be it | ||||||
15 | further
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16 | RESOLVED, That we commend Billy Lawless for his work of | ||||||
17 | advocacy for Irish-American relations,
and for his advocacy for | ||||||
18 | the welfare of many people who, like his Irish-American | ||||||
19 | predecessors and
like him, have come from around the world to | ||||||
20 | make America an even greater country; and be it further
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21 | RESOLVED, That copy of this resolution be presented to | ||||||
22 | Billy Lawless as a symbol of our respect and esteem.
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