* The Sun-Times…
After a vote in the Illinois House on a key part of then Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s pension relief plan in 2016, Barbara Flynn Currie did something not often seen in these times of divided, dysfunctional government. She crossed the aisle and shook hands with the three Republican lawmakers who broke ranks with the GOP and voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a measure deferring police and fire pension payments.
That was Currie, 85, who died Thursday. She not only represented her Hyde Park district in Springfield for 40 years — 20 as majority leader and the first woman to hold that role in the Illinois General Assembly — she was a tireless promoter of active, engaged, effective government. […]
Her district encompassed Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore and Kenwood, and she was a vigorous proponent of liberal causes such as prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, reforming school funding, and offering all-day kindergarten. She spearheaded a compromise on welfare reform and helped extend state contracts to minority- and female-owned businesses. […]
In 2009, she chaired the special 21-member bipartisan committee that recommended the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
* Rich wrote this in 2017…
Back in 1979, when Currie started her first term, Chicago’s House delegation was packed with very conservative white men. But, now, “I don’t feel as if I’m leaving a void” by retiring, the liberal legislator from Chicago’s liberal Hyde Park neighborhood told me Thursday night. The city’s delegation these days is filled with “fresh, bright, able, progressive people,” Currie said. […]
Currie took a lot of grief when House Speaker Michael Madigan made her his majority leader. Some of her fellow independent liberals viewed her as a sell-out to party machine hacks. Downstate legislators were upset that Madigan had picked a fellow Chicagoan instead of maintaining geographic balance by choosing someone from their ranks. And conservative Democrats, some of whom were uncomfortable with a female majority leader, viewed her as too much of an intellectual who was always championing politically “dangerous” ideas like state-regulated needle exchange programs to prevent the spread of AIDS among intravenous drug users.
But she has shown over time that she could effectively work within the system without losing her liberal street cred, and Speaker Madigan is now far more open to liberal causes than he was before he elevated Currie to the second chair. Illinois, for instance, now has five needle exchange centers. Also, as the country has shifted to a partisan divide between urban/suburban vs. exurban/rural, Downstate Democrats have been disappearing and losing some influence within the caucus.
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
* Rep. Theresa Mah…
I admired the heck out of Barbara Currie. She blazed the trail for so many of us. I was always kinda starstruck whenever I encountered her in the capitol in those early years when I first started coming to Springfield. She was super smart and had the sharpest wit. I loved watching her debate bills, just demolishing her opponents and taking delicious delight in putting down the idiots with a disdainful stare or an acerbic comment. She was the master. Man, I so wanted to learn from her, be like her, but no one comes close! She was a wonderful mentor and friend. As you see from the photos I’ve included, after she retired from the GA, I still got to see her regularly at Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership - IWIL events. So grateful for her leadership as a founding mother of that organization. And she was so kind and thoughtful as to send Facebook birthday greetings every year. I will miss her so much. Rest in Power, BFC!
* Gov. JB Pritzker…
* Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton…
I stand on the shoulders of women like Barbara Flynn Currie. I had the honor of serving in the Illinois House alongside the first woman to hold the title of Majority Leader. She paved the way for women to lead with passion, civility and courage.
Above all, she was a mentor and friend.
Sending my deepest condolences to Barbara’s family, friends and all who mourn her loss.
* House Speaker Chris Welch…
“Everyone who entered the Capitol today walked in the footsteps of Barabra Flynn Currie. As the trailblazing first woman to serve as House Majority Leader, she didn’t just break a glass ceiling—she lifted others up after her. In any room she set foot in, Barbara had the sharpest mind, the quickest wit, and the strongest drive to speak up for what she believed.
“I see the examples of her mentorship every day in the House, and we see the impact of her life’s work every day across the state. Illinois is a safe haven for reproductive rights because of Barbara Flynn Currie. Illinois protects voting rights, values our natural resources, and continues the march for justice because of Barbara Flynn Currie. And the House she joined in 1979 as one of just 21 women is now one of the most diverse and representative chambers in the country because of Barabra Flynn Currie.
“We are living in a state that Barbara Flynn Currie helped to transform—and we are all better for it.”
* Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias…
* Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
Barbara Flynn Currie inspired and opened doors to so many women in state government over the decades. She was tough as nails and could make you laugh until you cried.
Her petite physical frame stood in stark contrast to her commanding presence on the House chamber floor. No one understood the ins and outs of navigating legislation through the general assembly better than its first woman Majority Leader.
She was beloved and respected by so many people around the state and especially by those of us who had the honor to serve with her. I will miss her so much.
May she rest in God’s peace and eternal glory.
* Former House Majority Leader Greg Harris…
* Former State Rep. Ed Sullivan…
I am just learning about the passing of my friend Barbara Currie. All I can say is she was a giant in Illinois Politics. I first met her when I was a freshman legislator attending my first hearing as a member of Revenue Committee in 2003. I went to sit in a particular seat and a colleague said not to sit there, “Barbara sits there”. I soon learned that she may not have been the Chair of the committee, it really didn’t matter, she was the power in the room. Over the years we would meet at the beginning of session to discuss bills. Her intellect was unmatched. Some years later I was the HGOP floor leader and our side was complaining about a perceived slight because of the Rules of the House. In her dry wit she brought the House down with the comment that…” Well, if your side works harder maybe you someday can control the Rules of the House”, (ending with her patented smirk). All I could do was stand and clap as my colleagues roared in disapproval. She will be deeply missed by so many people.
…Adding… Illinois AFL-CIO…
Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney released the following statement:
Springfield, IL — The Illinois labor movement is saddened by the passing of the Honorable Barbara Flynn Currie, a pioneering lawmaker and the first woman to serve as Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives at a time when women were vastly underrepresented in the General Assembly.
Throughout her distinguished career, Leader Currie was a steadfast advocate for working people. A meticulous legislator and skilled debater, Currie was best known for her work to advance equity through the Earned Income Tax Credit and Equal Pay Act, expansion of funding for early childhood education, and her leadership to address sexual harassment and guarantee maternity leave in the workplace.
In partnership with Illinois AFL-CIO President Margaret Blackshere, Loretta Durbin, and others, Leader Currie also helped to organize the Illinois Women in Leadership Training Academy (IWILTA), which has since prepared generations of women—including union members—to run for public office.
Leader Currie’s legacy is one of principled leadership, lasting impact, and unwavering commitment to working families. She will be deeply missed, and Illinois is stronger because of her service.
* Senate President Harmon…
Barbara Flynn Currie was a larger-than-life figure at the Capitol and a giant in Illinois government. She was a leader, a mentor, a fighter and a bit of a character. A pragmatic progressive before such labels existed, she brought preparation and purpose to everything she did.
She was both intellectually intimidating and remarkably kind. In leadership, she was often the one to tell people no. She did it with a smile and a sparkle in her eye. Barbara had that enviable Irish gift: she could tell you to go to hell and make you look forward to the journey.
Immensely intelligent and a joy to be around, she possessed a wit few dared test and arguably none ever bested.
Those who had the privilege to work with her are forever better for having known and experienced the tour de force that was Barbara Flynn Currie.
Her influence will be felt for generations in the leaders she inspired, the trails she blazed and the stronger, more inclusive state she helped build.
We honor her life and legacy. Godspeed, Barbara Flynn Currie.
* Rahm Emanuel…
“Barbara Flynn Currie was one of a kind. Her intelligence, decency, and absolute command of the issues were without equal in Illinois politics. A trailblazer, she was the first woman to serve as House Majority Leader — and she got there by being better at the job than anyone else. Barbara was a passionate, tireless advocate for the people who needed one most. She delivered on issues like raising the minimum wage, early childhood education, gun safety. I was honored to work alongside her and call her a friend. She lived a life of genuine public service and leaves behind an extraordinary record of accomplishment. Amy and I send our most sincere condolences.”
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
“Illinois had lost an iconic public servant, and I have lost a mentor and a friend.
“For 14 years I shared a legislative district with Barbara Flynn Currie, and I am a better public servant as a result. We were fellow Hyde Parkers and Lab School Alumni. In our district, Barbara and I knocked on doors together when it was time to circulate petitions, and she had a way of charming people at the doors – even those who were initially resistant to opening the door. She made sure our district offices worked together to maximize constituent services. We shared a First Friday breakfast at the Mellow Yellow with other neighborhood political leaders, and her witty humor during and after those gatherings had me laughing long after I would drop her off at home after breakfast.
“In Springfield, we worked together on numerous legislative initiatives. She taught me patience and pragmatism. She helped me appreciate the value of incremental change and not letting perfection be the enemy of the good. She knew how to scrutinize well-meant legislation for unintended consequences. In this time where voting rights are under attack, I can’t help but remember our work together on the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 that has led to a diverse Illinois Legislature. She was critical at whipping up votes for the abolition of the death penalty. While small in physical stature, she was tough as nails when she defended bills on the House floor.
“Barbara’s record of and approach to service should be used as teaching example for legislators today and into the future. I wish we could share a last breakfast, glass of wine and last laugh together. Rest in Power, my friend.”
* Treasurer Michael Frerichs…
Barbara Flynn Currie was a woman of firsts. When she joined the Illinois House, she found few women. She went on to become the first woman to lead as the House Majority Leader. I was honored to serve in the General Assembly with her and am grateful for the path she made for other women to lead. She was an advocate for education and spoke eloquently on the issue at a 2017 town hall meeting I held at Hartzell Memorial United Methodist Church in Chicago.
