Bill Text: IL SR0431 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-09-01 - Resolution Adopted [SR0431 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SR0431-Introduced.html

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SR0431 LRB102 19014 LAW 27742 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
to learn of the death of Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi, who passed
away on June 28, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was born on February 17, 1963; and
WHEREAS, Larry Biondi worked as the advocacy manager of
the Progress Center for Independent Living for 28 years, where
he led the center's community organizers and organized and
implemented strategies to improve housing, transportation,
public access, and health care for the disability community;
he was well known for his legislative training course, which
he and his team offered twice a year, held once a week over the
course of ten weeks, and culminated in a trip to Springfield,
where students met with State politicians and their staffs and
applied the skills they learned during the course; he was the
center's longest serving employee; and
WHEREAS, As a person with a disability, Larry Biondi hired
and managed his own personal assistants, who gave him the
ability to focus on his job; he knew the essential link between
accommodations, independence, and inclusion for people with
disabilities; without personal assistants, he would not have
been able to live on his own and, understanding that link, he

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never stopped fighting to strengthen and build systems of
community services so that all people with disabilities had
the opportunity to access services and live independently; and
WHEREAS, Larry Biondi also dedicated his time to Chicago
ADAPT, a grass roots disability advocacy organization, and
National ADAPT; he attended hundreds of local and national
ADAPT demonstrations; he also participated in civil
disobedience when local, regional, and national entities
failed to recognize the needs and rights of people with
disabilities; and
WHEREAS, At the front end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Larry
Biondi actively engaged in and remained committed to two new
coalitions throughout the pandemic; as a member of the PPE for
People with Disabilities Coalition, he joined the effort to
ensure that people with disabilities in Chicagoland and their
personal assistants had access to personal protective
equipment; with the Institutional Rescue and Recovery
Coalition, he also advocated for residents of long-term
facilities, who suffered an alarming mortality rate during the
Covid-19 crisis; and
WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was a proud advocate for social
justice, especially for those persons with disabilities, and
he tirelessly fought for disability rights for 28 years; he

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rarely turned down an opportunity to speak to a group of
students, join a coalition, or attend a meeting, so long as he
had a chance to raise awareness about disability, learn more
about issues, and empower other people with disabilities; his
leadership and legacy will be remembered by his colleagues at
the Progress Center for Independent Living and ADAPT; and
WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was the son of the late Beatrice
(Zimmerman) and Roy Biondi; the nephew of Anna Marie Pierotti
and Fr. Lawrence Biondi, S.J.; the cousin of Anita Kidd, Maria
Pierotti, and Peter Pierotti; and the cousin of Atina, Peter,
Nicholas, Matteo, Giana, Luca, and many other Zimmerman
cousins; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi and extend our sincere condolences
to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Larry Biondi as an expression of our
deepest sympathy.