Rep. Tom Demmer | Facebook
Rep. Tom Demmer | Facebook
A resolution introduced by Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) to name an overpass in Rochelle after Sen. John B. "Jack" Roe recently passed the House.
Roe died in 2020, at the age of 78.
"This is a nice tribute to somebody who gave a significant amount to the community and served in this chamber and other branches of government over many years," Demmer said.
Roe served two terms in the Illinois Senate from 1973 to 1979. He sponsored legislation that required candidates for public office to disclose their contributors and their expenditures.
Demmer said Roe also played a part in "extending Route 251 between Rockford and his hometown in Rochelle which is now where this overpass that we’re naming runs."
Demmer recounted highlights form Roe's career.
"After he left the Senate, he was appointed by the governor to be the Chief Justice of the Illinois Court of Claims. He got that appointment from Gov. Jim Thompson in 1979," Demmer said. "He also served on the school board for several years in Rochelle and practiced law throughout the entirety of his career and finished his career serving as a Circuit Judge in Ogle County."
Before being passed unanimously in the House, the resolution was recommended to be adopted by the Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committee earlier this month.
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