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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened
3to learn of the unexpected death of our friend and former
4colleague, Judy Baar Topinka, who passed away on December 10,
52014; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was born to immigrant parents
7Lillian Mary Shuss and William D. Baar on January 16, 1944 in
8Riverside; after attending public schools throughout the Cold
9War and the Golden Age of Capitalism, she graduated from
10Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1966,
11where she was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka dedicated herself to a lifetime
13of service to the people of the State of Illinois; after
14graduating from Northwestern University, she began a career in
15journalism as a part-time reporter for the Berwyn, Cicero, and
16Stickney-Forest View Life Newspapers, before being hired
17full-time in 1971; in her award-winning journalism career, she
18was a reporter, education editor, feature writer, feature
19editor, and photographer; she received honors from the Illinois
20Women's Press Association, the Illinois Press Association, and
21the Illinois State Medical Society for her work covering
22advances in the medical field; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka's time covering politics and
2local issues as a journalist is what ultimately motivated her
3move into politics; in 1980, she was elected to serve in the
4Illinois House of Representatives; she served 2 successful
5terms before being elected to the Senate in 1984, where she
6served for 10 years until 1995; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka brought her larger-than-life
8personality to the Senate and quickly became known as a hard
9worker and one of the most outspoken members of the body; and
 
10    WHEREAS, During Judy Baar Topinka's tenure, she was a
11resolute advocate for the health and welfare of the general
12public, passing a diverse array of legislation ranging from
13requiring employees at a physical fitness center to be
14certified in CPR to defining ethical standards for physicians
15to better protect citizens from medical malpractice; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was an ardent defender of
17numerous human rights issues, including the Equal Rights
18Amendment, gender and marriage equality, and abortion rights;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka engineered successful efforts
21in health care delivery and medical ethics and soon became one
22of the State's most respected legislators in the field; her

 

 

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1knowledge and ability led her colleagues to name her as
2chairperson of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee in 1992;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, In 1994, Judy Baar Topinka achieved the
5distinction of being the first woman elected to serve as State
6Treasurer, becoming only the second woman in Illinois history
7to hold a State constitutional executive office; and
 
8    WHEREAS, During Judy Baar Topinka's 3 terms as State
9Treasurer, her frugal nature was evident through her strong
10advocacy for financial prudence; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka knew that good fiscal habits and
12skills are developed at a young age, which is why she created
13Illinois' Bank at School, a program to teach schoolchildren the
14value of saving money; the State earned record amounts of
15income on investments during her tenure as Treasurer; she also
16helped thousands of families save for college by creating one
17of the most affordable college savings programs in the nation;
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka's office helped create and
20retain more than 13,000 new jobs through an innovative linked
21deposits program, and developed the nation's largest
22agriculture loan program for farmers; and
 

 

 

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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 2 State constitutional offices in Illinois; she served
7as the State's chief financial officer with integrity and
8dedication, continuing her advocacy for fiscal responsibility
9and greater accountability during a time of severe financial
10constraints in the State; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka is survived by her son, Joseph;
12her daughter-in-law, Christina; and her granddaughter,
13Alexandra; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Judy Baar Topinka was a trailblazer; her legacy of
15dedication to community, honest governance, and great dignity
16will be dearly missed by the members of this body, the people
17of the State of Illinois, and her friends and admirers
18throughout the nation; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
20ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
21her family and friends, the passing of our friend and

 

 

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1colleague, Judy Baar Topinka; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of Judy Baar Topinka as an expression
4of our sympathy and our great respect for Judy Baar Topinka's
5life and legacy.