Mary E. Flowers

Mary E. Flowers (born July 31, 1951) is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives and serves as the House Deputy Majority Leader.[1] She represented the 31st district from January 9, 1985 to January 13, 1993, represented the 21st district from January 13, 1993 to January 8, 2003, and represents the 31st district again since January 8, 2003.[2] On January 14, 2021, Flowers became the longest serving African-American legislator in Illinois history.[3]

Mary Flowers
Illinois State Rep Mary E. Flowers
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 9, 1985
Preceded byJames C. Taylor
Constituency31st district (1985–1993, 2003–present)
21st district (1993–2003)
Personal details
Born (1951-07-31) July 31, 1951
Inverness, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Daniel Coutee
(m. 1991; died 2019)
EducationKennedy-King College
University of Illinois, Chicago

Early life and education

Flowers was born on July 31, 1951, in Inverness, Mississippi. Her family moved to Chicago when she was a child. She attended local schools in Chicago, Kennedy King Community College and the University of Illinois at Chicago.[4]

Political career

Mary Flowers was first elected to the 84th General Assembly as a Democrat from the 31st district in 1985. She is currently serving her 19th term as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and serves as House Deputy Majority Leader for the 102nd General Assembly.[1]

Illinois State Representative

Committees

During her tenure in the Illinois House of Representatives, Flowers has served on several different committees covering a range of topics and issues in the House of Representatives. Below is a list of her current and historical committee assignments.[5][6]

As of 2022, Flowers has the following committee and subcommittee assignments:

  • Adoption & Child Welfare committee
  • Health Care Availability & Access committee (Vice-Chairperson)
  • Human Services committee
  • Mental Health & Addiction committee
  • Prescription Drug Affordability committee
  • Child Care Access & Early Childhood committee
  • Medicaid Subcommittee

Legislation

Flowers' primary legislative focus has been on health and child welfare matters. She has been the principal sponsor of legislation related to medical patients rights, medical managed care reform, health insurance reforms, hospital and nursing home staffing standards, licensure of direct-entry midwives, adverse health event reporting, health facility regulatory reform, medical and dental practice reforms, and public health/communicable disease control.

Flowers has been the primary sponsor of several bills that became law, including the following list:[5][7][8]

Representative Flowers supports universal health care, and has repeatedly filed related legislation and conducted public hearings to promote such reforms throughout her legislative career – House Bill 311, The Illinois Universal Health Care Act – of the 97th General Assembly is the primary model.

Flowers has emphasized the safety of children in substitute care within the child welfare system regulated and administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, an agency and system that has experienced repeated tragedies and the subject of continuous judicial oversight.[9][10]

Flowers has received awards during her tenure, including 1993 "Legislator of the Year" award from Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, which is now the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health Care.[11]

Personal life

Flowers was married to Daniel Coutee; the couple had one daughter, Makeda. Coutee died in September 2019.[12] Flowers also has two grandchildren.[13]

Electoral history

Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 1984[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers 11,494 52.08
Democratic Peggy Smith Martin 5,544 25.12
Democratic James A. Moore, Jr. 5,034 22.81
Total votes 22,072 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 1984[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers 32,273 100.0
N/A Write-ins 1 0.00
Total votes 32,274 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 1986[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 13,139 84.27
Democratic Taylor Pouncey 1,453 9.32
Democratic Charles L. Meeks 1,000 6.41
Total votes 15,592 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 1986[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 20,778 97.09
Republican Mildred J. Thompson 622 2.90
Total votes 21,400 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 1988[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 29,723 100.0
Total votes 29,723 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 1990[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 11,639 77.39
Democratic Monica Faith Stewart 2,296 15.26
Democratic David Whitehead 416 2.76
Democratic Marvin S. Douglas Jr. 346 2.30
Democratic Larry Williams 341 2.26
Total votes 15,038 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 1990[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 15,900 100.0
Total votes 15,900 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District Democratic Primary, 1992[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers 14,580 61.70
Democratic Pamela James Strain 3,318 14.04
Democratic Dorothy Cooks 1,948 8.24
Democratic Bernetta Pearson 1,920 8.12
Democratic Ken Bennett 1,863 7.88
Total votes 23,629 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District General Election, 1992[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers 35,721 87.05
Republican Charles P. Janulis 5,316 12.95
Total votes 41,037 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District General Election, 1994[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 21,868 87.89
Republican Kirk J. Surridge 3,013 12.11
Total votes 24,881 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District General Election, 1996[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 32,623 92.82
Republican Melvin R. Sexton 2,524 7.18
Total votes 35,147 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District Democratic Primary, 1998[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 13,522 99.63
Democratic Diana B. Haywood 50 0.37
Total votes 13,572 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District General Election, 1998[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 27,728 100.0
Total votes 27,728 100.0
Illinois 21st State House District General Election, 2000[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 32,340 100.0
Total votes 32,340 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 2002[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers 17,933 100.0
Total votes 17,933 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2002[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers 25,333 87.92
Republican C. A. Lofton 3,481 12.08
Total votes 28,814 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2004[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 36,909 100.0
Total votes 36,909 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2006[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 25,042 100.0
Total votes 25,042 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2008[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 36,087 100.0
Total votes 36,087 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2010[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 24,772 100.0
Total votes 24,772 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2012[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 36,765 100.0
Total votes 36,765 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2014[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 26,394 100.0
Total votes 26,394 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2016[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 36,904 100.0
Total votes 36,904 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 2018[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 14,077 82.78
Democratic Willie Preston 2,929 17.22
Total votes 17,006 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District General Election, 2018[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 30,214 100.0
Total votes 30,214 100.0
Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 2020[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary E. Flowers (incumbent) 13,449 71.78
Democratic Samantha Simpson 5,287 28.22
Total votes 18,736 100.0

References

  1. "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  2. Edgar, Jim, ed. (1984). "Biographical Sketch of James C. Taylor". Illinois Blue Book 1983-1984. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 75.
  3. "Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HR0012". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  4. "Representative Mary E. Flowers (D)". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  5. "Illinois General Assembly Home Page". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  6. Illinois Legislative Research Unit - provided a printed Committee List - not available online.
  7. Illinois Legislative Synopsis and Digest, University Library, University of Illinois http://libsysdigi.library.uiuc.edu/ILHarvest/ILLegislative/
  8. "Illinois General Assembly". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  9. "Illinois lawmakers seek DCFS data about the caseloads of child welfare investigators", By Gary Marx and David Jackson, Chicago Tribune, September 25, 2017 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-dcfs-lawmakers-caseloads-met-20170926-story.html
  10. "Troubled DCFS outlines major overhaul, but budget crisis could hurt plans", By Duaa Eldeib, Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2016 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/rtc/ct-dcfs-reform-plan-met-20160403-story.html
  11. "Illinois Association for Behavioral Health - Springfield, Illinois | IABH". www.ilabh.org. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  12. "House Resolution 523". ilga.gov. Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  13. "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  14. "Downloadable Vote Totals". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  15. State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the Primary Election, General Primary, March 20, 1990. Illinois State Board of Elections. Jan 1991. p. 83.
  16. State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the General Election, November 6, 1990. Illinois State Board of Elections. Jan 1991. p. 57.
  17. State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the Primary Election General Primary, March 17, 1992. Illinois State Board of Elections. May 1992. p. 145. OCLC 4960540.
  18. Illinois blue book, 1993-1994. Office of Illinois Secretary of State. 1994. p. 407. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  19. Illinois blue book, 1995-1996. Office of Illinois Secretary of State. 1996. p. 411. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  20. Illinois blue book, 1997-1998. Office of Illinois Secretary of State. 1998. p. 412. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  21. "Election Results 1998 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  22. "Election Results 1998 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  23. "Election Results 2000 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  24. "Election Results 2002 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  25. "Election Results 2002 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  26. "Election Results 2004 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  27. "Election Results 2006 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  28. "Election Results 2008 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  29. "Election Results 2010 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  30. "Election Results 2012 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  31. "Election Results 2014 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  32. "Election Results 2016 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  33. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  34. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  35. "Election Results 2020 General Primary". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
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