[ Search ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
91_HR0902
LRB9115048RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly
3 were saddened to learn of the death of Luellen Watson
4 Laurenti of Normal on June 17, 2000; and
5 WHEREAS, Luellen, a women's rights activist and lobbyist,
6 was born in Charleston, West Virginia on August 27, 1939; she
7 attended elementary and high school in Charleston and
8 graduated from Marietta College in Ohio; she earned a
9 master's degree in foreign languages from the University of
10 Illinois; she moved to central Illinois in 1963 to teach
11 Spanish and women's studies at Illinois State University in
12 Normal, Illinois; and
13 WHEREAS, Her life's work was "for women"; she dedicated
14 her life to legislative and electoral issues to advance the
15 status of women and create opportunities for the next
16 generation of women; Luellen was a leader in the women's
17 movement as lobbyist for Illinois NOW and the American
18 Association of University Women and as a legislative
19 consultant for Governor Ryan's Commission on the Status of
20 Women; she was the President of Bloomington NOW, the
21 President of Illinois NOW from 1985 through 1987, the
22 recipient of the Illinois NOW the President's Award, the
23 Executive Director of the International Women's Year
24 Conference in Bloomington, Illinois in 1977, and the
25 Democratic State Central Committeewoman from 1984 through
26 1998 and was nationally known as a feminist leader,
27 historian, and scholar; she is a significant part of women's
28 history in the State of Illinois; Luellen was and always will
29 be known as an activist for the ERA; and
30 WHEREAS, She worked unceasingly for over 3 decades for
31 the right of all women to have access to a full range of
32 comprehensive health options during their lives, including
-2- LRB9115048RHrh
1 the right to abortion and birth control services, free from
2 coercion and intimidation and available to all regardless of
3 their ability to pay; and
4 WHEREAS, She worked with the Illinois General Assembly as
5 an advocate and lobbyist for women's rights for the last 12
6 years; she exhibited a unique ability to work with members of
7 both parties in the Illinois General Assembly on legislation
8 that would benefit all people regardless of their age,
9 gender, race, ability, or sexual orientation; she understood
10 the political and the personal, legislative processes, and
11 grassroots action and knew when each was necessary to effect
12 change; she was an ally, adversary, leader, mentor, and
13 friend to us as we represent and work for the people of the
14 State of Illinois; therefore, be it
15 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17 we note with sorrow and regret the death of Luellen W.
18 Laurenti and express our sincere condolences to her husband,
19 Joseph, her beloved cats, Leo and Nappy, family, friends, and
20 the thousands of Illinois women who call her sister; and be
21 it further
22 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23 presented to her husband, Joseph Laurenti, Illinois NOW, and
24 Illinois NOW for inclusion in the Luellen Laurenti papers at
25 the University of Illinois at Springfield Archives.