Earlean Collins
Encyclopedia
Earlean Collins is Commissioner
for the 1st district of Cook County
, Illinois
, on the west side of Chicago
.
.
and an Assistant Administrator of Children and Family Services. Collins was the first African-American woman elected to the Illinois Senate.
In 1994, she ran for Illinois Comptroller. After narrowly prevailing in the Democratic primary
against Kane County
Coroner
Mary Lou Kearns, she was defeated in the general election by Republican Loleta Didrickson
.
Her top issues are improving conditions for the mentally ill in Cook County Jail
and improving community-based mental health treatment. She also wants to increase affordable housing in the county and to train people to repair houses.
As Cook County Board Commissioner, Collins voted to uphold a historic 2008 Cook County sales tax increase, remaining the highest in the nation. As a result the Chicago Tribune
has encouraged voters to vote against her in the 2010 elections.
Cook County Board of Commissioners
The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district for four year terms. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, is the nation's second largest county with a population of 5.2 million residents...
for the 1st district of Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, on the west side of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Early life
Collins is a graduate of the University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
Public service
Before her election as a commissioner, Collins served as Assistant Minority Leader in the Illinois SenateIllinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
and an Assistant Administrator of Children and Family Services. Collins was the first African-American woman elected to the Illinois Senate.
In 1994, she ran for Illinois Comptroller. After narrowly prevailing in the Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
against Kane County
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
Mary Lou Kearns, she was defeated in the general election by Republican Loleta Didrickson
Loleta Didrickson
Loleta A. Didrickson is the former Illinois Comptroller, and the highest ranking female Republican elected official in that state's history.Didrickson was elected Comptroller in 1994, succeeding Democrat Dawn Clark Netsch, who was the Democratic nominee for Governor. Her Democratic opponent was...
.
Cook County Commissioner
As a Cook County Commissioner, Collins is Chairperson of the Business and Economic Development, Public Health, and Family Court and Juvenile Detention Center Committees. Additionally, Collins is a member of nine committees: Construction, Litigation, Tax Delinquency, Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations, Rules, Health and Hospitals, Finance, Zoning and Building, and Roads and Bridges.Her top issues are improving conditions for the mentally ill in Cook County Jail
Cook County Jail
The Cook County Jail, located on in Cook County, Illinois, is the largest jail in the United States of America housing approximately 9,800 men and women. The facility is located at 3015 S California Ave in the city of Chicago...
and improving community-based mental health treatment. She also wants to increase affordable housing in the county and to train people to repair houses.
As Cook County Board Commissioner, Collins voted to uphold a historic 2008 Cook County sales tax increase, remaining the highest in the nation. As a result the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
has encouraged voters to vote against her in the 2010 elections.