Bill Text: IL HR1531 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Honors Representative Donald Moffitt's service to Illinois.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-12-01 - Resolution Adopted [HR1531 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HR1531-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to congratulate their colleague, Donald
L. Moffitt, on the occasion of his retirement as State
Representative of the 74th District after a long and
distinguished career of public service; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt was born in Galesburg to
Russell and Gertrude Moffitt on February 18, 1947; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt received his Bachelor of
Science in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Economics
from the University of Illinois in 1969, where he was a member
of the Nabor House Fraternity; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt worked as a high school
agriculture teacher from 1969 to 1973 for the ROVA School
District (now ROWVA) in Oneida; during that time, he was
elected as an Alderman for Oneida; he served as Mayor from 1972
to 1975; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, Representative Moffitt continued as a
full-time family farmer in Gilson; farming goes back in his
family seven generations to Scotland; and

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WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt served as an Alderman for
Knoxville from 1977 to 1978, and as Chair of the Police
Committee for the City; he won a seat on the Knox County Board,
serving from 1978 to 1984, and as Chair from 1982 to 1984; he
served as Knox County Treasurer from 1984 to 1992, where he
helped increase interest earnings on county-invested funds and
brought real estate tax collection back on time; and
WHEREAS, In 1992, Representative Moffitt was elected by the
constituents of the then-94th District to represent their
interests in the Illinois House of Representatives; his
district number changed to the 74th after the redistricting
following the 2000 census, and he continued to dutifully
represent his district until his retirement in early 2017; and
WHEREAS, Daring his career in the Illinois House,
Representative Moffitt championed many causes, including
improving fire prevention and response capabilities,
agricultural initiatives, local government improvements, and
safety issues such as requiring swing-out arms on the front of
school buses; and
WHEREAS, Considered by both parties to be a legislator who
"knew how to get things done", Representative Moffitt thrived
in his committee service while serving in the Illinois House;
he served as a member of the 9-1-1 Services Advisory Board from

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2014 to 2015; a member and eventually Minority Spokesperson of
the Agriculture and Conservation Committee from 1993 to 1996
and 2003 to the present; a member of the Public Safety
Appropriations Committee from 1997 to 1998, 2005 to 2006, and
2013 to the present; Co-Chair of the Commission on Government
Forecasting and Accountability from 2015 to the present; member
and Vice-Spokesperson from 1993 to 1994 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Committee, serving from 1993 to 1996, 1999
to 2006, 2011 to the present; Co-Chair of the EMS Task Force
from 2011 to 2012, which held 16 public hearings throughout the
State to gather input for recommendations; Co-Chair of the Fire
Funding Task Force in 2002, which held 22 public hearings
throughout the State to gather input for recommendations; Chair
of the Fire Protection Committee from 2007 to 2010; founding
member and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Illinois General Assembly
Fire Caucus; a member of the Joint Committee on Administrative
Rules from 2011 to 2015; and Minority Spokesperson of the
Public Safety-Police & Fire Committee from 2013 to 2014; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt has been active in his
community, serving as a Board Member for the Carver Community
Action Agency, a member of the Galesburg Noon Lion's Club, a
Mason, a member of the Knox County Farm Bureau, a member and
Endowment Committee member, and as past Finance Committee Chair
at Knoxville United Methodist Church; he was named a Rotary
International Paul Harris Fellow in 2007, and Lion's Club

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International Melvin Jones Fellow in 2013; he received the 2003
Thomas B. Herring Award from the Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt has been recognized and
awarded for his service to his community time and again; he
received the Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR Friend of
Agriculture Award during each of his terms; the 1994 Illinois
Political Action Committee for Education Outstanding Freshman
Representative Award; the 1994 National Federation of
Independent Business Illinois Guardian of Small Business
Award; the 1996 Illinois Soybean Association Legislative
Award; 2000 the Illinois Optometric Association Legislator of
the Year Award; the 2002 Illinois Association of Fire
Protection Districts Legislator of the Year Award; the
Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois Legislative Award; the
2003 Illinois Pork Producers Legislative Award; he was also
recognized as a University of Illinois Fire Service Institute
Legislators Fire Academy Graduate in 2003; the 2003 Illinois
Fire Service Legislator of the Year Award; the 2004 Genetic
Task Force of Illinois Legislator of the Year Award; the 2005
Jim Guilinger Legislative Award from the Illinois Leadership
Council for Ag Education; the 2005 Illinois Law Enforcement
Training & Standards Board Distinguished Service Award; the
2006 Illinois Rural Health Association Legislator of the Year
Award; the 2008 Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Appreciation Award;
the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts which

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established the "Donald Moffitt" Legislator of the Year Award
and presented it to its namesake in 2010; the 2012 Illinois
Association of Arson Investigators Recognition of Sprinkler
Legislation; the 2014 Illinois EMS Alliance Legislator of the
Year Award; the 2014 Illinois 9-1-1 National Emergency Number
Association Legislator of the Year Award; the 2014 Illinois
Emergency Medical Technician Association Legislative Award;
and the 2016 Northern Illinois Alliance of Fire Protection
Districts Lifetime Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt and his wife, Carolyn,
have three children, Londa (Michael) Mauriello, Justin (Jenn)
Moffitt, and Amanda (Lance) Setterdahl; they have eight
grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt has shown great passion,
dedication, and commitment to his constituents and their needs
throughout his legislative career; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
honor and congratulate State Representative Donald L. Moffitt
for his work in the Illinois House of Representatives and wish
him our best in his retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

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presented to Representative Moffitt as an expression of our
esteem and respect.