Twelve new graduates of the Illinois Women’s Institute for
Leadership Training Academy met with legislators at the Capitol April 19. Graduates
of the program who went on to election to the General Assembly gave the group
advice on how to be more effective leaders and urged them to consider using
their new skills in public service. Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, told the group
she would never have run for office had it not been for IWIL.
According to Liz Mitchell, deputy press
secretary for the Senate Democratic Caucus, IWIL Training Academy
prepares and trains Democratic, pro-choice women to run for elected office,
seek public appointments, and govern effectively at all levels in Illinois.
Mitchell is an alumna of the Training Academy, as are four members of the
General Assembly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. This year’s graduating class
includes Lisa Badger, a recent candidate for Springfield city treasurer.
The
meeting is an annual affair where alumnae have an opportunity to tour the Capitol,
witness legislators in action, and meet with alumnae who currently serve in
Springfield. Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, credited
her IWIL Training Academy experience in 2020 with giving her the tools she
needed to successfully run for the Illinois House of Representatives later that
year. She told this year’s class that any successful run for the Statehouse
requires assembling a competent and dedicated team. She noted that the
Democratic Caucus has more women than men, and that she’s found the General
Assembly to be welcoming to women with children.
Croke said IWIL has helped
shift conversations toward issues that are important to women. For instance,
she has sponsored a bill that passed the House and is moving through the Senate
that makes it easier for pregnant women to collect prenatal expenses from the
fathers of their babies. She said that gun violence is another area of
particular interest to women in the General Assembly and could be addressed by
using consumer protection tools. As an example, she is in favor of only
allowing guns that can have biometrically controlled safeties and imposing liability
on manufacturers in more cases.
Crisis pregnancy centers also
concern IWIL, according to Croke. She is cosponsor of a bill that would
regulate these businesses that attempt to divert and delay pregnant women from
accessing abortion services.
Fine started her legislative career in the
House, serving three terms, when in 2018 she successfully ran for the Senate.
She said one of the surprises of legislating is that some bills can create
strange bedfellows. A recent piece of legislation, for instance, sought to give
more power to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Opponents argued that the
measure would hurt both individual and business consumers. “I never thought I’d
see the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and the Small Business Advocacy Council
on the same side of an issue, but there they were,” said Fine.
Fine also said that it’s
critical not to hold grudges, and it’s important to be sympathetic to other
members who vote their districts’ interests when they don’t align with her
interests. “It’s important to have conversations and really listen before and
after voting no,” she said. For Fine, listening also means a willingness to
change her mind. “If you never change your mind, you’ve stopped looking,” she
said.
Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, another
Training Academy alumna, represents a district that she estimates to be 80
percent first-generation and second-generation immigrants. Her campaign flyers
are printed in three languages. She volunteered on various campaigns for 10
years before deciding to run for office. It was an intimidating experience, but
her Training Academy experience was invaluable. “I went up against the son of
the retiring representative. It felt like he was expecting to inherit the
position,” she said. “I won by 500 votes.” Mah explained that her ground game
was better, and her message was no more complicated than convincing
constituents that she wanted to work with them to improve their community.
“You’re never wrong if you’re fighting for more community engagement.”
Admission to the IWIL Training Academy is
competitive. Applicants must write essays and provide letters of
recommendation, and the class is limited to 12 participants from around the
state. They then attend six multi-day sessions across Illinois and Washington,
D.C. Participants attend about 115 hours of training. Of their 239 alumnae, 143
have run for office at least once and 61 women are currently in office.
Don Howard is an intern at Illinois Times while completing his
master’s degree in
Public Affairs Reporting at the University of Illinois
Springfield. He can be reached at
dhoward@illinoistimes.com or 336.455.6966.
