HR0114LRB101 07140 MST 52178 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was born to immigrant parents
3Lillian Mary Shuss and William D. Baar on January 16, 1944 in
4Riverside; after attending public school, she graduated from
5Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1966;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka worked as a reporter, education
8editor, feature writer, feature editor, and photographer and
9received honors from the Illinois Women's Press Association,
10the Illinois Press Association, and the Illinois State Medical
11Society for her work covering advances in the medical field;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka's time covering politics and
14local issues as a journalist motivated her move into politics;
15in 1980, she was elected to serve in the Illinois House of
16Representatives, before being elected to the Senate in 1984,
17where she served until 1995; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In 1994, Judy Baar Topinka achieved the
19distinction of being the first woman elected to serve as State
20Treasurer, becoming only the second woman in Illinois history
21to hold a State constitutional executive office; she served
22three terms; and
 

 

 

HR0114- 2 -LRB101 07140 MST 52178 r

1    WHEREAS, In 2006, Judy Baar Topinka ran for Governor of
2Illinois, becoming only the second woman to win a major party's
3nomination for governor in the State; and
 
4    WHEREAS, In 2010, Judy Baar Topinka was elected to serve as
5the Illinois State Comptroller, making her the first woman to
6serve in two State constitutional offices in Illinois; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was a trailblazer and dedicated
8to community, honest governance, and human rights; therefore,
9be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12we urge the owner of the Comptroller building in Springfield to
13work with CMS to name the building in honor of Judy Baar
14Topinka; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16delivered to the owner of the Comptroller building in
17Springfield, the Illinois Comptroller, and the Director of CMS.