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]
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 served as a House Deputy Majority Leader for the 102nd General Assembly.[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.[5] Flowers replied that the Speaker had taken her remarks out of context.[6] In 2024, Welch directed more than $1.6 million in campaign contributions to Flowers' challenger in the 2024 Democratic primary.[7] Crawford ultimately defeated Flowers in the primary.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10][11]
As of 2024, Flowers has no committee assignments.[12]
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:[10][13][14]
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.[15][16]
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.[17]
