SR-216, As Adopted by Senate, September 11, 2008

            Senators Birkholz, Van Woerkom, Patterson, Prusi, Brater, Basham, Hardiman, Jansen, Stamas, Allen, Kuipers, Kahn, Jelinek, George, Cassis, Bishop, Cropsey, Pappageorge, Garcia, Brown, Barcia, Scott, Richardville, Schauer, Thomas, Cherry, Olshove, Anderson, Hunter, Clark-Coleman, Gleason, Whitmer, Jacobs, Switalski, Clarke and Gilbert offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 216.

            A resolution to honor and thank Julie Gales.

            Whereas, In 1987, Julie Gales, a graduate geology student from the University of Michigan, joined the staff of the Legislative Service Bureau's Legislative Science Office to investigate the suitability of the salt mine underneath Detroit as a deep geologic repository for hazardous waste. Her service on this project required several trips down the 1,000-foot open elevator to explore the underground mine, confer with expert geologists on the conditions of the mine, and report back to the Legislature with her findings. This project began a tenure of dedication that has served the Michigan Legislature and our entire state in many ways over more than two decades; and

            Whereas, After earning her master's degree, Julie Gales accepted a full-time position with the Legislative Service Bureau, where she has continued to provide objective, nonpartisan research on a number of geologic issues of interest to the Legislature. Since that time, she has provided essential support to legislative discussions on numerous issues, including severed mineral rights; drilling under the Great Lakes; groundwater contamination, modeling, and withdrawals; contaminated site cleanups; copper mining; leaking underground storage tanks; injection wells; sand dunes, critical dunes, and sand mining; and countless other issues. Julie Gales has made complex scientific information useful to legislators and staff with wide-ranging backgrounds as they draft legislation, oversee state programs, and work with dynamic public policy issues. Apart from her knowledge, Julie's impeccable sense of professionalism and personal commitment have earned her the trust of legislators and staff alike who have come to rely upon her ability to ask the right questions and deliver thorough, timely, and relevant information; and

            Whereas, In addition to her direct impact on the legislative process, Julie Gales has been a valued leader at the Legislative Service Bureau. As a senior member of the Bureau's Science and Technology Division, she has guided other analysts on their research and presentation of the relevant information to legislators and staff. In recent years, she has played a key role in reorganizing the Bureau's research functions to work more efficiently and later became the assistant division director for the Research Services Division. In all facets of her career, Julie Gales' uncommon set of analytic skills and public policy savvy has provided a model for others to emulate; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That we honor Julie Gales as she brings to a close her 21 years of dedication with the Legislative Service Bureau; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to Julie Gales and her family as evidence of our esteem.