Mary E. Flowers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Flowers
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 9, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | James C. Taylor |
| Constituency | 31st district (1985–1993, 2003–present) 21st district (1993–2003) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 31, 1951 Inverness, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Daniel Coutee
(m. 1991; died 2019) |
| Education | Kennedy-King College University of Illinois, Chicago |
Mary E. Flowers is a long-serving politician from Illinois. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She has been a representative in the Illinois House since 1985. This makes her the longest-serving African-American lawmaker in Illinois history. She represented the 31st district for many years. She also represented the 21st district for a time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mary Flowers was born on July 31, 1951. Her birthplace was Inverness, Mississippi. When she was a child, her family moved to Chicago. She went to local schools there. Later, she attended Kennedy-King College. She also studied at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Mary Flowers' Political Career
Mary Flowers began her political journey in 1985. She was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. She represented the 31st district. She is currently serving her 20th term. This shows how long she has been a public servant. She also served as a Deputy Majority Leader. This is an important leadership role in the House.
Mary Flowers will have served 40 years in the Illinois House by January 2025. This is the longest time any woman has served in the Illinois General Assembly.
Illinois State Representative Duties
Committees Mary Flowers Served On
During her time as a representative, Mary Flowers has worked on many different committees. These groups focus on specific topics. They help shape laws in the House of Representatives.
As of 2024, Representative Flowers does not have any committee assignments.
Below is a list of some committees she has served on:
| Representative Flowers' Previous Committee Assignments | |
|---|---|
| Committee Name | General Assembly |
| Health Care Availability & Accessibility (Chair) | 101st, 100th, 99th, 98th, and 97th |
| Health Care Availability & Access (Chair) | 90th through 96th |
| Health & Healthcare Disparities | 99th, 98th, 97th and 96th |
| Health Care & Human Services | 89th |
| Healthy Illinois Plan | 93rd |
| Prescription Drug Affordability | 101st |
| Youth & Young Adults | 99th |
| Economic Justice & Equity | 100th |
| Economic Opportunity | 100th |
| Medicaid Reform | 96th |
| Medicaid Reform, Family & Children | 96th |
| Human Services | 90th through 101st, and 84th |
| The Disabled Community | 92nd |
| Restorative Justice | 100th, 99th, and 98th |
| Economic Development & Housing | 99th |
| Higher Education | 100th, 99th, 98th, 97th, 96th, 95th, and 84th |
| Juvenile Justice & System-Involved Youth | 99th |
| Small Business Empowerment & Workforce Development | 99th and 97th |
| Accountability & Administrative Review | 98th |
| Environmental Health | 97th |
| Special Investigative Committee | 96th and 95th |
| Agriculture & Conservation | 97th and 96th |
| Smart Growth & Regional Planning (Vice Chair) | 95th |
| Department of Children & Family Services Oversight | 95th |
| Drivers Education & Safety | 95th |
| International Trade & Commerce | 94th |
| Fee For Services Initiatives | 94th and 93rd |
| Special Committee and Tobacco Settlement Proceeds | 92nd |
| Special Committee on Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Distribution | 91st |
| Children & Youth | 92nd and 91st |
| Labor and Commerce | 87th, 86th, 85th, and 84th |
| Commerce & Business Development (Vice Chair) | 93rd and 92nd |
| Financial Institutions | 89th, 86th and 85th |
| Consumer Protection | 89th |
| Insurance (Minority Spokesperson) | 89th |
| Executive | 88th, 87th and 86th |
| Public Utilities (Vice Chair) | 88th, 87th, 86th, and 85th |
| Real Estate Law (Chair) | 87th |
| Registration & Regulation | 87th, 86th, and 85th |
| Museums, Arts& Cultural Enhancement | 100th and 98th |
| Implementation of Chicago School Reform | 86th |
| Appropriations – Elementary & Secondary Education (Vice Chair) | 94th and 93rd |
| Appropriations – Human Services | 90th and 87th |
| Appropriations Higher Education | 97th and 96th |
| Appropriations II | 86th, 85th, and 84th |
| Appropriations – General Services | 88th |
| Public Utilities | Minority Spokesperson for 88th, Vice Chair for 87th, 86th, and 85th |
| Small Business | 85th and 84th |
| Housing | 85th |
| World's Fair 1992 | 84th |
Laws Mary Flowers Helped Create
Mary Flowers has focused on laws about health and child well-being. She has sponsored many bills. These bills cover topics like patient rights and health insurance. She also worked on rules for hospitals and nursing homes.
Here are some important laws she helped pass:
| Representative Flowers' Passed Legislation | |
|---|---|
| Bill Number; Public Act Number | Description |
| HB 68; PA 102-0256 | Requires hospitals to report female patient deaths quarterly. |
| HB 728; PA 102-0414 | Increases the number of licensed birth centers. |
| HB 1779; PA 102-0203 | Requires health insurance to cover biomarker testing. |
| HB 2914; PA 102-0451 | Requires DCFS to report on racial differences in child welfare cases. |
| HB 3267; PA 102-0470 | Creates a group to reduce the number of African-American children in foster care. |
| HB 3914; PA 102-0617 | Requires state agencies to increase diversity in hiring. |
| HB 5013; PA 102-0964 | Increases choices for pregnancy and birth care. |
| HB 1; PA 101-38 | A task force to reduce infant and maternal deaths for African Americans. |
| HB 2433; PA 101-0091 | Requires hospitals to have blood pressure instruments for pregnant patients. |
| HB 3129; PA 101-0103 | Makes it harder to cut welfare benefits for families. |
| HB 2438; PA 101-386 | Requires health insurance to cover mental health for new mothers. |
| HB 2895; PA 101-390 | Requires birthing facilities to have training on maternal health. |
| HB 2; PA 101-445 | Affirms health care rights for pregnant women during labor. |
| HB 3; PA 101-0446 | Requires hospitals to report racial differences in maternal and child health. |
| HB 3511; PA 101-512 | Focuses on education and treatment for maternal mental health. |
| HB 2896; PA 101-273 | Creates a task force for diversity in health care jobs. |
| HB 2800; PA 100-265 | A law to prevent HIV in babies. |
| HB 736; PA 100-347 | Helps low-income people start small businesses. |
| SB 1696; PA 100-459 | Creates an advisory group for Muslim Americans in Illinois. |
| HB 163; PA 99-84 | Stops separate performance standards for students based on race. |
| SB 1775; PA 99-351 | A law to protect children. |
| HB 3284; PA 99-416 | Creates opportunities for women at risk. |
| HB 105; PA 97-280 | Gives patients the right to know information. |
| HB286; PA 97-245 | Regulates giving certain medicines to children. |
| SB 1157; PA 94-242 | A law about public health program information. |
| SB 1157; PA 94-242 | A law for reporting bad health care events. |
| SB251; PA 91-617 | Improves managed health care and patient rights. |
| HB4999; PA 94-885 | Ensures fair billing for patients. |
| SB 59; PA 93-563 | Requires hospitals to report on their quality. |
| HB612; PA 94-407 | A law about family case management. |
| HB 8; PA 98-1050 | Ensures job security for pregnant women. |
| HB 81; PA 93-540 | Re-brands certain emergency care centers. |
| HB 486; PA 93-981 | Stops hospitals from treating patients differently based on payment. |
| HB 192; PA 95-0282 | Requires monitoring of infections in health care places. |
| HB 890; PA 84-462 | Helps families get special education for children with disabilities. |
| HB 3999; PA 96-411 | Rebranded existing education programs. |
| HB 2942; PA 85-1313 | Established March 4 as Mayors' Day in Chicago schools. |
Representative Flowers supports universal health care. This means she believes everyone should have access to health care. She has worked to promote this idea throughout her career.
She has also focused on keeping children safe. This is especially true for children in foster care. This system is managed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Mary Flowers has received awards for her work. In 1993, she was named "Legislator of the Year." This award came from the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health Care.
Personal Life
Mary Flowers was married to Daniel Coutee. They had one daughter named Makeda. Daniel Coutee passed away in 2019. Mary Flowers also has two grandchildren.
Images for kids
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Mary Flowers in 2024
