LRB-4714/1
CMH:cdc
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
October 31, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Carpenter, Wirch, Larson and Risser,
cosponsored by Representatives Spreitzer, Riemer, Anderson, Bowen,
Crowley, Goyke, Gruszynski, Hebl, Hintz, Kolste, McGuire, Milroy,
Neubauer, Pope, Shankland, Sinicki, Stubbs, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor,
Tusler, Vruwink and Zamarripa. Referred to Committee on Senate
Organization.
SJR71,1,2 1Relating to: commending the exemplary life and service of Justice John Paul
2Stevens.
SJR71,1,43 Whereas, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens was born April 20, 1920,
4in Chicago, Illinois, and passed on July 16, 2019; and
SJR71,1,65 Whereas, Justice Stevens graduated with honors from the University of
6Chicago; and
SJR71,1,97 Whereas, Justice Stevens left his studies to serve his country in the United
8States Navy, enlisting on December 6th, 1941, earning the rank of Lieutenant
9Commander and receiving a Bronze Star for his exceptional service; and
SJR71,1,1210 Whereas, upon the conclusion of his service, Justice Stevens returned to
11Illinois, began studying law at the Northwestern University School of Law, and
12graduated with the highest GPA in the history of the school in 1947; and
SJR71,2,213 Whereas, Justice Stevens became a leading expert in antitrust laws, working
14against monopoly overreach in industries across the country including serving as

1associate counsel to an antitrust subcommittee of the United States House of
2Representatives; and
SJR71,2,63 Whereas, Justice Stevens was a diligent litigator who was called upon to
4investigate corruption in the Illinois Supreme Court, resulting in the prosecution of
5both the former Chief Justice and then-current Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme
6Court; and
SJR71,2,107 Whereas, Justice Stevens was appointed to the Seventh Circuit Court of
8Appeals by President Richard Nixon in 1970, where he served until being nominated
9for the Supreme Court of the United States by President Gerald Ford and
10unanimously approved by the United States Senate in 1975; and
SJR71,2,1511 Whereas, Justice Stevens served as a model for all justices as his quiet humility
12outside of the Supreme Court Chambers was paired with intense, deliberate
13questioning that challenged all of those who came before the court and followed by
14fearless dissenting opinions that were first drafted by Justice Stevens rather than
15by a clerk; and
SJR71,2,2416 Whereas, Justice Stevens's history of thorough briefs included notable
17decisions such as majority opinions in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources
18Defense Council, Inc.
, Clinton v. Jones, Clinton v. City of New York, Ferguson v. City
19of Charleston
, Atkins v. Virginia, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc.
20v. Village of Stratton
, Rasul v. Bush, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, and Massachusetts v.
21Environmental Protection Agency
, as well as his detailed and rigorous dissents in
22Bowers v. Hardwick, Texas v. Johnson, Bush v. Gore, and District of Columbia v.
23Heller
, as well as his concurrence/dissents in Planned Parenthood v. Casey and
24Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission; now, therefore, be it
SJR71,3,4
1Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the members of the
2Wisconsin legislature recognize the exemplary service Justice John Paul Stevens
3rendered to our country through his sustained diligence and belief in the ability of
4the United States to strive to meet the lofty ideals laid out in our Constitution.
SJR71,3,55 (End)
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