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"Three years from now, all eyes will be on Illinois as we observe
the Lincoln bicentenary," Blagojevich said. "Nearly two centuries
after his birth, Abraham Lincoln is still our greatest president.
This commission will be charged with making sure that his 200th
birthday will be a once-in-a-lifetime event -- one that lives up to
his legacy."
The commission will include the following individuals:
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Illinois governor
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Illinois
congressional delegation
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Illinois lieutenant
governor
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Illinois secretary of
state
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Illinois attorney
general
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Illinois state
treasurer
-
Illinois state
comptroller
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President of the
Illinois Senate
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Speaker of the
Illinois House
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Illinois Senate
minority leader
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Illinois House
minority leader
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Mayor of Chicago
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Mayor of Springfield
The commission will also include representatives from the
following organizations:
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Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum
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Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum Foundation
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Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency
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Illinois Bureau of
Tourism
Over the next several months, Blagojevich will appoint up to 30
public members to the commission. These individuals may represent
academia, business, the arts, community development, civil rights
and historic preservation communities.
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 "With Governor Blagojevich's executive order, Illinois will join
Kentucky and Indiana in establishing Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
commissions to celebrate the 200th birthday of our greatest
president," said Julie Cellini, a member of the national Abraham
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and chairman of the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency. "I look for all three of the states
Lincoln called home to be integral in what happens to mark this
important anniversary."
Cellini indicated that Illinois is already central in telling the
Lincoln story because it has more than a dozen major Lincoln
historic sites, plus the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum, which has drawn more than 500,000 visitors since it opened
10 months ago. "Creation of our own bicentennial commission will
allow us to showcase Illinois' treasures so the bicentennial has
significance for a worldwide audience," she said.
The commission will work closely with the governor's office,
state and local government agencies, members of the Illinois General
Assembly, and organizations that are dedicated to commemorating the
life of Abraham Lincoln. The group will also be responsible for
scheduling all bicentennial activities.
The commission will submit a report to the governor and the
General Assembly each year and include a list of recommended
improvements to Abraham Lincoln commemorative locations.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
