The Speaker, on behalf of the entire membership of the House of Representatives, offered the following concurrent resolution:
House Concurrent Resolution No. 57.
Whereas, It was with great sorrow that the members of the Legislature learned of the death of our former colleague, William Van Regenmorter. Respected on both sides of the aisle, he will always be remembered as the humble and compassionate champion for crime victims; and
Whereas, A graduate of Calvin College, William Van Regenmorter began his career as a businessman and worked as an analyst for Dun and Bradstreet. He served as an Ottawa County commissioner before running to represent the people in the western Michigan region he loved. In 1982, he was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives; and
Whereas, For the next 24 years, William Van Regenmorter would distinguish himself as one of Michigan's most conscientious and dedicated legislators in the House of Representatives and the Senate. For sixteen of those years, he served as chair of the Judiciary Committee, helping to shepherd through hundreds of bills that changed Michigan's criminal and civil justice system for the better. He translated his strong belief in family values into creating laws that would require truth in sentencing for criminal prison terms, crack down on drunken driving, protect abused children, and assist people with disabilities; and
Whereas, In a legislative career with many high points, his singular achievement was on the issue of crime victims' rights. At a time when crime victims had few rights in the justice system, he authored legislation that would become a national model. He successfully led efforts to amend Michigan's constitution and statutes to ensure victims were treated fairly and with respect. He later founded the Crime Victim Foundation to financially assist crime victims. For these efforts and many others, he received numerous awards and honors over his career, culminating with the Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award in 2009; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we offer this expression of our highest tribute to honor the memory of William Van Regenmorter, a member of the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990 and 2003 to 2006 and a member of the Senate from 1991 to 2002; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Van Regenmorter family as evidence of our lasting esteem for his memory and contributions.