Rickey R. Hendon facts for kids

Rickey R. Hendon (born December 8, 1953) is an American politician who served as an Illinois State Senator. He represented the 5th district in Illinois from 1993 until he resigned from his position on February 24, 2011.

Political Career

A politician's job is to represent the people in their area and help make laws. Mr. Hendon held several important roles in public service.

Early Work in Chicago

Before becoming a state senator, Hendon worked in local government in Chicago. He was the alderman for the city's 27th ward. An alderman is a member of the city council who helps make decisions for the city. He also worked as the Secretary and Treasurer for the Cook County Forest Preserve.

Serving in the Illinois Senate

In 1992, Hendon was elected to the Illinois State Senate. During his time there, he held several leadership positions:

• Assistant Majority Leader
• Co-Chairman of the Senate Executive Appointments Committee
• Vice-Chairman of the Environment and Energy Committee
• Member of the Labor and Commerce Committee
• Member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus

While in the Senate, Hendon had a sometimes tense working relationship with his colleague Barack Obama. Despite their disagreements, Hendon later supported Obama when he ran for president in 2008.

Important Laws and Projects

As a senator, Hendon worked on new laws, which are called bills or legislation. He focused on helping his community in different ways.

• Helping Students: Hendon sponsored a bill to create a special program in Chicago Public Schools. The program's goal was to teach students about the consequences of criminal behavior by organizing tours of prisons.
• Making Healthcare Affordable: He supported a law to help low-income families who use Medicaid, a government health care program. This law limited how much they had to pay for brand-name medicines and removed the cost for generic drugs.
• Supporting Local Business: Hendon also worked on a bill to help businesses owned by minorities. The goal was to give them more chances to get involved in film and television projects being made in Illinois.

In 2009, Senator Hendon was a key supporter of a $31 billion plan to fund construction projects for education. Part of this plan included $40 million for Chicago State University to build a new campus on the West Side of Chicago.

Personal Life

Rickey Hendon was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He and his wife, Dawn, have five children. In his free time, Hendon was the leader of the Senate's softball team. He also has a creative side and in 1992, he wrote and starred in a movie called "Butterscotch and Chocolate."