Mary E. Flowers

Mary Flowers
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 1985
Preceded by	James C. Taylor
Constituency	31st district (1985–1993, 2003–present) 21st district (1993–2003)
Personal details
Born	(1951-07-31) July 31, 1951 (age 73) 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 (born July 31, 1951) is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives. Representative Flowers is the longest serving African-American legislator in Illinois history.^[1] She represented the 31st district from January 9, 1985 to January 13, 1993,^[2] represented the 21st district from January 13, 1993 to January 8, 2003, and represents the 31st district again since January 8, 2003.^[3]

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 20th term as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and served as a House Deputy Majority Leader for the 103rd General Assembly.^[5][3]

In May 2023, Flowers was removed from her leadership position in the General Assembly by Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, allegedly for using a slur and saying that a House staffer resembled Adolf Hitler.^[6] Flowers replied that the Speaker had taken her remarks out of context.^[7] In 2024, Welch directed more than $1.6 million in campaign contributions to Flowers' challenger in the 2024 Democratic primary.^[8] Crawford ultimately defeated Flowers in the primary.^[9]

At the conclusion of the current legislative session in January 2025, Flowers will have served forty years in the Illinois House of Representatives—the longest tenure of any woman to serve in the history of the Illinois General Assembly.^[10]

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.^[11][12]

As of 2024, Flowers has no committee assignments.^[13]

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

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:^[11][14][15]

Representative Flowers' Passed Legislation
Bill Number; Public Act Number	Description
HB 68; PA 102-0256	Requires each hospital to report the number of female patients who died during a given reporting period on a quarterly basis under the Hospital Report Card Act.
HB 88; PA 102-0178	Requires that an otherwise eligible person shall be eligible to receive TANF cash assistance regardless of whether they have been convicted of a drug-related offenses.
HB 728; PA 102-0414	Increases the number of birth center facilities that may be licensed under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act
HB 1779; PA 102-0203	Requires Medicaid and private health insurance companies to provide coverage for medically-indicated biomarker testing.
HB 2914; PA 102-0451	Requires DCFS to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing racial disparities in DCFS involvement during the previous fiscal year.
HB 3267; PA 102-0470	Creates the Advisory Commission on Reducing the Disproportionate Representation of African-American Children in Foster Care
HB 3914; PA 102-0617	Requires each State agency to establish the goal of increasing diversity on interview panels in order to increase State employment opportunities provided to women, minority persons, and specified other persons.
HB 5013; PA 102-0964	A law to increase access to choices during pregnancy, birth, and the 12 months postpartum; requires Medicaid health plans to reimburse out-of-network providers for any pregnancy-related health care service covered by the Illinois Medicaid program. Permits licensed Certified Professional Midwives to provide services at any facility licensed under Illinois’ Birth Center Licensing Act.
HB 1; PA 101-38	A task force to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates for African Americans
HB 2433; PA 101-0091	A law requiring every hospital to maintain on-site the proper instruments for taking a pregnant patient's blood pressure.
HB 3129; PA 101-0103	A law that narrows criteria under which Illinois Department of Human Services may discontinue a family's TANF benefits; excludes 75% of TANF grants from becoming subject to penalty reductions.
HB 347; PA 101-182	A law to make it more difficult for individuals convicted of elder abuse to recover from their victims’ estates
HB 2438; PA 101-386	A law requiring health insurance companies to cover mental health services for postpartum depression
HB 2895; PA 101-390	A law requiring all birthing facilities to comply with mandatory continuing education about the management of severe maternal hypertension and obstetric hemorrhage. Mandates IDPH to develop an initiative to reduce peripartum racial and ethnic disparities, in collaboration with the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative.
HB 2; PA 101-445	A law affirming that all pregnant women have certain health care rights during labor and delivery
HB 3; PA 101-0446	A law requiring each hospital to report to IDPH facility-level racial disparities in maternal child health outcomes, including: preterm birth, infant mortality, and maternal mortality.
HB 5; PA 101-447	A law to ensure access to substance use services for pregnant and postpartum women
HB 3511; PA 101-512	Maternal Mental Health Conditions Education, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment Act
HB 2896; PA 101-273	Diversity in Health Care Professions Task Force
HB 2800; PA 100-265	The Perinatal HIV Prevention Act
HB 736; PA 100-347	Establishment of a small business grant program for low-income individuals who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs
SB 1696; PA 100-459	Illinois Muslim American Advisory Council Act
HB 163; PA 99-84	A law prohibiting the Illinois State Board of Education from having separate performance standards for students based on race or ethnicity
SB 1775; PA 99-351	Safeguard Our Children Act
HB 3284; PA 99-416	Opportunities for At Risk Women Act
HB 105; PA 97-280	Patients' Right to Know Act
HB286; PA 97-245	Administration of Psychotropic Medications to Children Act
SB 1157; PA 94-242	Public Health Program Beneficiary Employer Disclosure Law
SB 1157; PA 94-242	Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005
SB251; PA 91-617	Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act
HB4999; PA 94-885	Fair Patient Billing Act
SB 59; PA 93-563	Hospital Report Card Act
HB612; PA 94-407	Illinois Family Case Management Act
HB 8; PA 98-1050	A law assuring pregnant women job security through "reasonable accommodation"
HB 81; PA 93-540	Re-branding free-standing "Emergent" Care Centers
HB 486; PA 93-981	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 192; PA 95-0282	A law requiring the Illinois Department of Public Health to effect policies and procedures to monitor and control infections from MDRO's (Multi-drug resistant organisms), MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium, especially as these impact health care facilities
HB 890; PA 84-462	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 3999; PA 96-411	A law that rebranded existing programs into the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
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 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.^[16][17]

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.^[18]

Personal life

Flowers was married to Daniel Coutee; the couple have one daughter, Makeda. Coutee died in September 2019.^[19] Flowers also has two grandchildren.^[20]

Electoral history

Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 1984^[21]

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^[21]

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^[21]

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^[21]

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^[21]

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^[22]

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^[23]

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^[24]

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^[25]

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^[26]

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^[27]

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^[28]

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^[29]

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^[30]

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^[31]

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^[32]

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^[33]

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^[34]

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^[35]

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^[36]

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^[37]

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^[38]

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^[39]

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^[40]

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^[41]

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^[42]

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

Illinois 31st State House District Democratic Primary, 2024

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael Crawford	7,663	69.09
	Democratic	Mary E. Flowers (incumbent)	3,428	30.91
Total votes			11,091	100.0

References

1. "Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HR0012". 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 - Representative Biography". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
4. "Representative Mary E. Flowers (D)". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
5. https://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=103&MemberID=3020
6. Degman, Alex. "Rep. Mary Flowers removed from leadership after saying staff member resembled Hitler". nprillinois.org. NPR Illinois, 91.9 UIS. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
7. Strausberg, Chinta (2024-03-07). "Black pols rip House Speaker Welch for targeting Rep. Flowers". Retrieved 2024-03-07.
8. Tribune, Olivia Olander | Chicago (2024-03-22). "Illinois House speaker's office orders Democratic lawmakers to remain silent over Tribune questions". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
9. Chase, Brett; Loria, Michael; Love, Leah. "Party-backed newcomer Crawford defeats longtime Democratic state Rep. Flowers in primary". Chicago Sun-Times WBEZ Chicago. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
10. Lewis, Ashley M.; Dawson, Alexis (February 3, 2022). "Illinois Women in Congress and the General Assembly" (PDF). Springfield, Illinois.: Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
11. "Illinois General Assembly Home Page". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
12. Illinois Legislative Research Unit - provided a printed Committee List - not available online.
13. "Representative Mary E. Flowers (D), 31st District". ilga.gov. Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
14. Illinois Legislative Synopsis and Digest, University Library, University of Illinois http://libsysdigi.library.uiuc.edu/ILHarvest/ILLegislative/
15. "Illinois General Assembly". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
16. "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
17. "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
18. "Illinois Association for Behavioral Health - Springfield, Illinois | IABH". www.ilabh.org. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
19. "House Resolution 523". ilga.gov. Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
20. "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
21. "Downloadable Vote Totals". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
22. State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the Primary Election, General Primary, March 20, 1990. Illinois State Board of Elections. Jan 1991. p. 83.
23. State of Illinois Official Vote Cast at the General Election, November 6, 1990. Illinois State Board of Elections. Jan 1991. p. 57.
24. 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.
25. Illinois blue book, 1993-1994. Office of Illinois Secretary of State. 1994. p. 407. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
26. Illinois blue book, 1995-1996. Office of Illinois Secretary of State. 1996. p. 411. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
27. Illinois blue book, 1997-1998. Office of Illinois Secretary of State. 1998. p. 412. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
28. "Election Results 1998 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
29. "Election Results 1998 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
30. "Election Results 2000 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
31. "Election Results 2002 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
32. "Election Results 2002 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
33. "Election Results 2004 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
34. "Election Results 2006 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
35. "Election Results 2008 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
36. "Election Results 2010 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
37. "Election Results 2012 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
38. "Election Results 2014 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
39. "Election Results 2016 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
40. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
41. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
42. "Election Results 2020 General Primary". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2020-04-20.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

External links

• Representative Mary E. Flowers (D) 31st District, Illinois General Assembly
  • 98th, 97th, 96th, 95th94th, 93rd
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Mary E. Flowers, Illinois House Democrats