The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly,the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970,the Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population and redistricted every 10 years;based on the 2020 U.S. census each senator represents approximately 213,347 people. Senators are divided into three groups,each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses,with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. This ensures that the Senate reflects changes made when the General Assembly redistricts itself after each census.
Mae Beavers is an American politician. A Republican,she was a member of the Tennessee Senate for the 17th district from 2003 until she resigned to run for governor in August 2017. The 17th district is composed of Cannon,Clay,DeKalb,Macon,Smith,and Wilson counties. Prior to becoming a state senator,Beavers was a state representative in the 99th through the 102nd General Assemblies. She was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Tennessee in the 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election.
Carol Ronen is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly.
Sara Feigenholtz is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate who has represented the 6th District since 2020. The District includes the lakefront neighborhoods of Lake View,Lincoln Park,Buena Park and the Near North Side in the city of Chicago.
Louis I. Lang is an American politician,lobbyist,and former Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives,representing the 16th District from 1987 until 2019.
Mary E. Flowers is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives and serves as the House Deputy Majority Leader. 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.
Mary Margaret "Maggie" Crotty was an American politician who served as the Bremen Township Supervisor from 2005 to 2020 and as a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate,representing the 19th district from 2003 to 2013. She was Chairperson of the Elections Committee,Vice-Chairperson of the Local Government Committee,and was a member of the Higher Education,Labor,and Revenue Committees. She announced she would not be seeking reelection after her term expired in 2013.
Richard Stuart Madaleno Jr.,commonly known as Rich Madaleno,is an American politician from Maryland. A Democrat,he was a member of the Maryland State Senate,representing the state's 18th district in Montgomery County,which includes Wheaton and Kensington,as well as parts of Silver Spring,Bethesda and Chevy Chase. Madaleno served as chair of the Montgomery County Senate Delegation from 2008 to 2011. He previously served four years in the House of Delegates.
Keith P. Sommer is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 1999. Sommer currently represents the 88th district which includes the cities of Morton,Washington,and Bloomington.
Michael Noland is a former Democratic member of the Illinois Senate,representing the 22nd District from 2007 to 2017. In November 2018,he was elected Kane County Circuit Court Judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit of Illinois.
Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Illinois since a law signed by Governor Pat Quinn on November 20,2013 took effect on June 1,2014. Same-sex marriage legislation was introduced in successive sessions of the Illinois General Assembly from 2007 to 2013. It passed the Senate in February 2013,but legislators delayed a vote in the House while lobbying for votes until November 5,2013,when the House passed an amended version of the bill by a narrow margin. The Senate quickly approved the amended bill and Governor Quinn signed it into law on November 20. The law went into effect (statewide) on June 1,2014,with same-sex couples able to apply for marriage licenses and then marry after the mandatory one-day waiting period.
Suzanne Elder is a Chicago community activist and public health leader who has worked on school,health care,and community issues. Elder is also noted for her candidacy in the 2008 Democratic primary where she challenged the party's practice of preselection in lieu of election.
Illinois is seen as one of the most progressive states in the United States in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and often viewed as one of the most liberal states in the Midwestern United States. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1962,after Illinois became the first U.S. state to repeal its sodomy laws. Same-sex marriage was banned by statute in 1996,but has since been legalized after a law allowing such marriages was signed by Governor Pat Quinn on November 20,2013 and went into effect on June 1,2014. Civil unions have been recognized since 2011,and same-sex couples are also allowed to adopt. Additionally,discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is banned in employment,housing,credit and public accommodations,and conversion therapy on minors has been outlawed since 2016.
Kelly Cassidy is an American politician from Chicago. She is a Democrat and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives. She was appointed to represent the 14th district,on Chicago's North Side,in April 2011 following incumbent Harry Osterman's election to the Chicago City Council. She took office on May 16,2011. Most notably Kelly Cassidy was the chief sponsor of House Bill 1438,making Illinois the first state to legalize the Adult-Use of Cannabis through legislature as opposed to a ballot measure.
Christian Mitchell is the incoming Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago. He currently serves as Deputy Governor for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration. Prior to assuming that role,Mitchell represented the 26th District of Illinois as state representative from 2013 to 2019. He also served as the executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois during the 2018 election cycle,becoming the first African-American to hold the position.
Melinda Bush is a member of the Illinois Senate for the 31st district. The 31st district spans northern Lake County and includes all or parts of Zion,Round Lake,Round Lake Beach,Gages Lake,Winthrop Harbor,Old Mill Creek,Wadsworth,Lindenhurst,Antioch,Waukegan,Gurnee,Beach Park,Grayslake and Lake Villa.
Laura Fine is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate for the 9th district.
The Illinois Budget Impasse was a 793-day-long budget crisis in the state of Illinois. From July 1,2015,to August 31,2017,Illinois was without a complete state budget for fiscal years 2016,2017,and part of 2018. As a result,many state agencies had to cut services or continue borrowing to operate. The budget impasse has adversely affected Illinois' economy,its credit rating,and public confidence in Illinois' state government.
Karina Villa is a Democratic Illinois state senator for the 25th District. The 25th district,located in the Chicago metropolitan area,includes all or parts of Aurora,North Aurora,Batavia,West Chicago,South Elgin,Wayne,and Bartlett. Villa is the Chair of the Senate Public Health Committee and was previously a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
Michael Simmons is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate from the 7th district. He was appointed to the office in February 2021 to replace retiring Senator Heather Steans.
