SR0093 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0093 LRB099 07150 MST 27237 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened to learn of the unexpected death of our friend and former colleague, Judy Baar Topinka, who passed away on December 10, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was born to immigrant parents Lillian Mary Shuss and William D. Baar on January 16, 1944 in Riverside; after attending public schools throughout the Cold War and the Golden Age of Capitalism, she graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1966, where she was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka dedicated herself to a lifetime of service to the people of the State of Illinois; after graduating from Northwestern University, she began a career in journalism as a part-time reporter for the Berwyn, Cicero, and Stickney-Forest View Life Newspapers, before being hired full-time in 1971; in her award-winning journalism career, she was a reporter, education editor, feature writer, feature editor, and photographer; she received honors from the Illinois Women's Press Association, the Illinois Press Association, and the Illinois State Medical Society for her work covering advances in the medical field; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka's time covering politics and local issues as a journalist is what ultimately motivated her move into politics; in 1980, she was elected to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives; she served 2 successful terms before being elected to the Senate in 1984, where she served for 10 years until 1995; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka brought her larger-than-life personality to the Senate and quickly became known as a hard worker and one of the most outspoken members of the body; and

WHEREAS, During Judy Baar Topinka's tenure, she was a resolute advocate for the health and welfare of the general public, passing a diverse array of legislation ranging from requiring employees at a physical fitness center to be certified in CPR to defining ethical standards for physicians to better protect citizens from medical malpractice; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was an ardent defender of numerous human rights issues, including the Equal Rights Amendment, gender and marriage equality, and abortion rights; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka engineered successful efforts in health care delivery and medical ethics and soon became one of the State's most respected legislators in the field; her knowledge and ability led her colleagues to name her as chairperson of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee in 1992; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, Judy Baar Topinka achieved the distinction of being the first woman elected to serve as State Treasurer, becoming only the second woman in Illinois history to hold a State constitutional executive office; and

WHEREAS, During Judy Baar Topinka's 3 terms as State Treasurer, her frugal nature was evident through her strong advocacy for financial prudence; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka knew that good fiscal habits and skills are developed at a young age, which is why she created Illinois' Bank at School, a program to teach schoolchildren the value of saving money; the State earned record amounts of income on investments during her tenure as Treasurer; she also helped thousands of families save for college by creating one of the most affordable college savings programs in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka's office helped create and retain more than 13,000 new jobs through an innovative linked deposits program, and developed the nation's largest agriculture loan program for farmers; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, Judy Baar Topinka ran for Governor of Illinois, becoming only the second woman to win a major party's nomination for Governor in the State; and

WHEREAS, In 2010, Judy Baar Topinka was elected to serve as the Illinois State Comptroller, making her the first woman to serve in 2 State constitutional offices in Illinois; she served as the State's chief financial officer with integrity and dedication, continuing her advocacy for fiscal responsibility and greater accountability during a time of severe financial constraints in the State; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka is survived by her son, Joseph; her daughter-in-law, Christina; and her granddaughter, Alexandra; and

WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was a trailblazer; her legacy of dedication to community, honest governance, and great dignity will be dearly missed by the members of this body, the people of the State of Illinois, and her friends and admirers throughout the nation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of our friend and colleague, Judy Baar Topinka; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Judy Baar Topinka as an expression of our sympathy and our great respect for Judy Baar Topinka's life and legacy.