_______________________, read first time and referred to Committee on
A HOUSE RESOLUTION to honor Speaker John R. Gregg for his
16 years of distinguished service to the Indiana General Assembly and
to congratulate him on his retirement from the Indiana House of
Representatives.
Whereas, Speaker John R. Gregg was born September 6,
1954, in Sandborn, Indiana;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg and his wife, Sherry L. Biddinger
Gregg, have two sons, John Blackwood and Hunter;
Whereas, Before his election to the Indiana House of
Representatives, Speaker Gregg worked as a governmental
affairs representative for AMAX Coal Company and as a
land agent for the Peabody Coal Company;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg has also become a celebrity on
the local airwaves, thanks to his Saturday morning radio
show that airs on WIBC;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg attended Vincennes University,
where he received an associate's degree; Indiana University,
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree; Indiana State
University, where he received a Master of Public
Administration degree; and Indiana University School of
Law at Indianapolis, where he received his Doctor of
Jurisprudence degree;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg, who was first elected to represent the citizens of House District 45 in 1986, will be stepping down from the podium for the last time at the end of the 2002 legislative session;
Whereas, The stage was set for the election of Speaker
Gregg in the 1995 session when a bill was passed to deal
with the situation that is created when the Indiana House of
Representatives is equally divided;
Whereas, This bill stated that in the event of another 50-50
split, the caucus whose candidate won the governor's office
in the general election should elect the Speaker of the House
of Representatives;
Whereas, For the first time in Indiana history, one Speaker
presided over an equally divided House of Representatives;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg was re-elected Speaker following
the 1998 general election when Democrats took control of
the House of Representatives with a 53 - 47 majority;
Whereas, Throughout his terms as Speaker, John Gregg
has implemented improvements in House procedures,
including on-time convening of sessions, the support of a
bipartisan clerk's office, staffing parity for both caucuses,
and the prohibition of smoking within the interior hallways
and offices surrounding the House chamber;
Whereas, Many statehouse observers credit Speaker Gregg
with returning civility and congeniality to the third floor;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg has also introduced measures to
help streamline the work load of legislators and staff alike,
including reducing the number of standing committees from
21 to 17 by combining the duties of several committees that
shared similar jurisdictions and initiating stricter adherence
to House rules regarding how members vote and conduct
themselves on the House floor;
Whereas, During his tenure as Speaker, John Gregg has
championed many causes, including education, campaign
finance, property tax, lobby, and ethics reforms;
Whereas, Away from the podium and the statehouse,
Speaker Gregg has always been very active in Democratic
Party politics, serving as precinct committeeman from 1974
to 1986, delegate to the Indiana Democratic State
Convention from 1974 to 2000, and delegate to the
Democratic National Convention in 1992, 1996, and 2000;
Whereas, Speaker Gregg is active in the community, where
he is a member of the Sandborn Christian Church, the Knox
County Bar Association, Masons (33rd degree), the Harry
Truman Club, the Sullivan County Democratic Women's
Club, the Press Club, and the Indianapolis Athletic Club;
Whereas, Throughout his career John Gregg's
accomplishments have been rewarded, including an
honorary doctorate degree from Vincennes University, the
Governor's Heroism Award, the Hoosier Hero Award, a
Sagamore of the Wabash Award, and Outstanding Freshman
Legislator during his first year in office; and
Whereas, A friend and confidant of Governors Evan Bayh
and Frank O'Bannon, Speaker Gregg has never forgotten
that it is the people back in a legislator's district who really
make Indiana such a wonderful place in which to live:
Therefore,
SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly wishes to bid a
fond farewell to Speaker John R. Gregg. The Indiana House of
Representatives has seen only good things during his tenure.
Legislators and staff alike will miss him greatly. His departure will
leave a void that will never be truly filled.