On Thursday, December 19th, Comptroller Mendoza transferred an interesting part of history to the state’s official keeper of such documents – the Illinois State Archives, located in Springfield.
The documents include information about Obama’s salary and benefits as a member of the Illinois Senate, his original oath of office, personnel records, and his resignation from office to serve in the U.S. Senate. Some of the documents include original signatures of the former president.
“While this is just a small component of Obama history, I am honored to deliver files that will provide a snapshot of my former legislative colleague’s historic and ground-breaking public career to the State Archives,” said Comptroller Mendoza.
Mendoza was thrilled when State Archives Director David A. Joens showed her a copy of her first bill she passed as a state representative stored with Obama’s records because he was her Senate co-sponsor on the bill in 2001.
“That’s so cool!” Comptroller Mendoza said. “This was my first bill. Obama was a sponsor. It outlawed the use of armor-piercing bullets.”
Comptroller Mendoza’s first bill was memorialized in this video showing her donning a helmet and flak jacket to endure the standard first-bill-hazing legislators were subjected to by the legendary Rep. Bill Black.
This paperwork joins the likes of other historical documents in the State Archives such as the Illinois Constitution; the Land Plat for Chicago when it was incorporated as a town in 1833; a telegram from Illinois Senator Lyman Trumbull who co-authored the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery; even the 1909 registration of the label for Malort liquor.
The State Archives serves as the depository of public records from Illinois state and local governmental agencies which have permanent administrative, legal, or historical research values and contains a literal treasure trove of state documents.
Photos from the event are attached for use by the media.
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