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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.[2] 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. On January 14, 2021, Flowers became the longest serving African-American legislator in Illinois history.[3]
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-Chicago Circle.[4]
Personal life[]
Flowers is married to Daniel Coutee and they have one daughter, Makeda.[5]
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.[2]
Legislative career[]
Representative 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 Lay Midwives, Adverse Health Event Reporting, Health Facility Regulatory Reform, Medical and Dental Practice reforms, and Public Health/Communicable Disease Control. She has also been the primary sponsor of legislation regarding Welfare Reform, Elementary & Secondary School Reforms, and Juvenile Justice Reforms.
Over the course of 18 General Assemblies Representative Flowers has served on several different committees covering an extraordinary range of topics and issues in the House of Representatives. Below is a listing of her committee assignments.[6][7]
Health Care Availability & Accessibility (Chair): 101st, 100th, 99th, 98th, and 97th General Assemblies
Health Care Availability & Access (Chair): 90th through 96th General Assemblies
Health & Healthcare Disparities: 99th, 98th, 97th and 96th General Assemblies
Health Care & Human Services: 89th General Assembly
Healthy Illinois Plan 93rd: General Assembly
Prescription Drug Affordability: 101st General Assembly
Youth & Young Adults: 99th General Assembly
Economic Justice & Equity: 100th General Assembly
Economic Opportunity: 100th General Assembly
Medicaid Reform: 96th General Assembly
Medicaid Reform, Family & Children: 96th General Assembly
Human Services: 90th through 101st, and 84th General Assemblies
The Disabled Community: 92nd General Assembly
Restorative Justice: 100th, 99th, and 98th General Assemblies
Economic Development & Housing: 99th General Assembly
Higher Education: 100th, 99th, 98th, 97th, 96th, 95th, and 84th General Assemblies
Juvenile Justice & System-Involved Youth: 99th General Assembly
Small Business Empowerment & Workforce Development: 99th and 97th General Assemblies
Accountability & Administrative Review: 98th General Assembly
Environmental Health: 97th General Assembly
Special Investigative Committee: 96th and 95th General Assemblies
Agriculture & Conservation: 97th and 96th General Assemblies
Smart Growth & Regional Planning (Vice Chair): 95th General Assembly
Department of Children & Family Services Oversight: 95th General Assembly
Drivers Education & Safety: 95th General Assembly
International Trade & Commerce: 94th General Assembly
Fee For Services Initiatives: 94th and 93rd General Assemblies
Special Committee and Tobacco Settlement Proceeds: 92nd General Assembly
Special Committee on Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Distribution: 91st General Assembly
Children & Youth: 92nd and 91st General Assemblies
Labor and Commerce: 87th, 86th, 85th, and 84th General Assemblies
Commerce & Business Development: 93rd and (Vice Chair) 92nd General Assemblies
Financial Institutions: 89th, 86th and 85th General Assemblies
Consumer Protection: 89th General Assembly
Insurance (Minority Spokesperson): 89th General Assembly
Executive 88th, 87th and 86th: General Assemblies
Public Utilities: 88th, (Vice-Chair) 87th, (Vice-Chair) 86th, and (Vice-Chair) 85th General Assembly
Real Estate Law (Chair): 87th General Assembly
Registration & Regulation: 87th. 86th, and 85th General Assemblies
Museums, Arts& Cultural Enhancement: 100th and 98th General Assemblies
Implementation of Chicago School Reform: 86th General Assembly
Appropriations – Elementary & Secondary Education (Vice Chair) 94th and (Vice Chair) 93rd General Assemblies
Appropriations – Human Services: 90th and 87th General Assemblies.
Appropriations Higher Education: 97th and 96th General Assemblies
Appropriations II: 86th, 85th, and 84th General Assemblies
Appropriations – General Services: 88th General Assembly
Public Utilities (Minority Spokesperson) 88th, (Vice Chair) 87th, (Vice Chair) 86th, (Vice Chair 85th General Assembly)
Small Business: 85th and 84th General Assemblies
Housing: 85th General Assembly
World's Fair 1992: 84th General Assembly
Representative Flowers was the Primary Sponsor of many bills that became law, including but not limited to the following list of major accomplishments.[6][8]
A task force to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates for African Americans (HB 1, PA 101-38)
A law to make it more difficult for individuals convicted of elder abuse to recover from their victims’ estates (HB 347, PA 101-182)
A law requiring health insurance companies to cover mental health services for postpartum depression (HB 2438, PA 101-386)
A law affirming that all pregnant women have certain health care rights during labor and delivery (HB 2, PA 101-445)
A law to ensure access to substance use services for pregnant and postpartum women (HB 5, PA 101-447)
Maternal Mental Health Conditions Education, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment Act (HB 3511, PA 101-512)
Diversity in Health Care Professions Task Force (HB 2896, PA 101-273)
The Perinatal HIV Prevention Act (HB 2800, PA 100-265)
Establishment of a small business grant program for low-income individuals who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs (HB 736, PA 100-347)
Illinois Muslim American Advisory Council Act (SB 1696, PA 100-459)
A law prohibiting the Illinois State Board of Education from having separate performance standards for students based on race or ethnicity (HB 163, PA 99-84)
Safeguard Our Children Act (SB 1775, PA 99-351)
Opportunities for At Risk 'Women Act (HB 3284, PA 99-416)
Patients' Right to Know Act (HB 105, PA 97-280)
Administration of Psychotropic Medications to Children Act (HB 286, PA 97-245)
Public Health Program Beneficiary Employer Disclosure Law (SB1157, PA 94-242)
Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005 (SB 1157, PA 94-242)
Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act (SB 251 PA91-617)
Fair Patient Billing Act (HB 4999, PA 94-885)
Hospital Report Card Act (SB 59, PA 93-563)
Illinois Family Case Management Act (HB 612, PA 94-407)
A law assuring pregnant women job security through "reasonable accommodation (HB 8, PA 98-1050)
Re-branding free-standing "Emergent" Care Centers (HB 81, PA 93-540)
A law that prohibits hospitals from promulgating policies or implementing practices that determine differing standards of obstetrical care based on patient's source of payment or ability to pay (HB 486, PA 93-981)
A law requiring the IL Department of Public Health to effect policies and procedures to monitor and control infections from MDR0's (Multi-drug resistant organisms), MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium, especially as these impact health care facilities HB 192 (PA 95-0282)
A law requiring the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop hospital standards of perinatal care which assure that families are provided information to assist in obtaining special education for children with disabilities (HB 890 PA84-462)
A law that rebranded existing programs into the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois (HB 3999, PA 96-411)
She was also the primary sponsor of HB 2942 (PA 85-1313) a law that established March 4 as a commemorative holiday for Chicago School District 299 to be known as Mayors' Day, when past chief executive officers of Chicago are honored, particularly Richard J. Daley and Harold Washington.
Representative Flowers supports "Single Payer" 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.
She has also devoted much of her energy toward 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]
She received many awards for distinguished services, 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]
Electoral history[]
Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 1984[12]
