Earlean Collins
Earlean Collins is Commissioner for the 1st district of Cook County, Illinois, on the west side of Chicago.
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[edit] Early life
Collins is a graduate of the University of Illinois.
[edit] Public service
Before her election as a commissioner, Collins served as Assistant Minority Leader in the Illinois Senate 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.
[edit] 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 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.
[edit] References
- Stevens, Susan S. "Collins has low-profile challenger for Cook County Commissioner," The Gazette (Chicago), Nov. 3, 2006.
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