Karina Villa is a Democratic Illinois state senator for the 25th district. The 25th district, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, includes all or parts of Aurora, North Aurora, Batavia, West Chicago, South Elgin, Wayne, and Bartlett.[1] Villa is the Chair of the Senate Public Health Committee and was previously a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
Karina Villa | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 25th district | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Oberweis |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 49th district | |
| In office January 9, 2019 – January 13, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Fortner |
| Succeeded by | Maura Hirschauer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 20, 1978 Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | West Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Aurora University (M.S.W.) |
| Profession | School Social Worker |
Prior to her election to the Illinois House of Representatives, she was a member of the West Chicago District 33 Board of Education.
Illinois House of Representatives
editVilla defeated DuPage County Board member Tonia Khouri in the 2018 general election to succeed retiring incumbent Republican Mike Fortner in the Illinois House of Representatives for District 49.[2]
Committee assignments
editIn the 101st General Assembly, Villa sat on the House Committees on Appropriations - Elementary and Secondary Education; Elementary and Secondary Education School Curriculum Policies; Healthcare Availability and Access; Mental Health; Veterans' Affairs; and Labor and Commerce.
Illinois Senate
editIn 2020, incumbent State Senator Jim Oberweis announced that he was vacating his seat to run for the Republican nomination to challenge Lauren Underwood in the 2020 election for Illinois's 14th congressional district.[3] Villa chose to run for the open seat and defeated Republican candidate Jeanette Ward.[4] Villa was succeeded by fellow Democrat Maura Hirschauer.[5]
In 2022, Villa was reelected to the Senate[6] in a redrawn 25th district that included far more of central Aurora and left out St. Charles, Oswego, and Yorkville. She defeated Republican Heather Brown.[7] During the campaign, Villa maintained her support for the SAFE-T Act, which Brown opposed, and campaigned alongside Governor J. B. Pritzker, U.S. Representative-elect Delia Ramirez, and state Representative Maura Hirschauer.[8]
Committee assignments
editIn the 102nd General Assembly, Villa was the vice-chairperson of the Senate Behavioral and Mental Health Committee. She also served on the Committees on Agriculture; Education; and Pensions.[9]
In the 103rd General Assembly, Villa is the Chairperson of the Public Health Committee. She also sits on the Committees on Agriculture; Appropriations; Behavioral and Mental Health; Health and Human Services; Human Rights; and the Special Committee on Pensions.[10]
Votes and legislation
editWorkers' rights
edit- Voted in favor of raising the state minimum wage to $15 an hour[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 834, which required employees to be paid equally[11]
- Voted in favor of HB 1653, which would have increased penalties for employers who commit wage theft[11]
- Voted in favor of SB 471, which established worker protections for health emergencies[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 2455, which would have authorized worker compensation for essential and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic[11]
Voting rights
edit- Voted in favor of allowing people in jail who have not been convicted of a crime to vote[11]
- Voted in favor of SB-1970, which authorized student absences for voting[11]
- Voted in favor of expanding absentee voting for the 2020 general election[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 1871, which would have expanded ballot drop-boxes and curbside voting[11]
Education
edit- Voted in favor of SB 10, which increased the mandatory baseline salaries for public school teachers in the state[11]
- Sponsored HB 2691, which authorized tuition assistance to students who are trans or undocumented[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 2265, which requires civics education to be taught in grades 6, 7, and 8[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 246, which requires public schools to teach about prominent LGBTQ+ historical figures[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 2170, which requires school curriculum to emphasize Black and minority group contributions[11]
- Co-sponsored SB 817, prohibiting school discrimination against certain hairstyles[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 158, which requires schools to provide free period products in school bathrooms[11]
Police and prison policy
edit- Voted in favor of HB 1613, which requires police to keep records on racial profiling[11]
- Voted in favor of allowing people in jail who have not been convicted of a crime to vote[11]
- Sponsored HB 2040, which prohibits private prisons and jails in Illinois[11]
- Voted in favor of abolishing cash bail[11]
LGBTQ+ rights
edit- Co-sponsored HB 246, which requires public schools to teach about prominent LGBTQ+ historical figures[11]
- Voted in favor of HB 3534, which added a nonbinary gender marker option for state IDs[11]
Cannabis
edit- Voted in favor of HB 1438, which legalized recreational cannabis in Illinois[11]
Racial justice
edit- Voted in favor of HB 1613, which requires police to keep records on racial profiling[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 2170, which requires school curriculum to emphasize Black and minority group contributions[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 158, which aims to reduce racial disparities in medical care[11]
- Co-sponsored SB 817 prohibiting school discrimination against certain hairstyles[11]
Immigration
edit- Sponsored HB 836, which authorized temporary guardians for the children of people who have been deported[11]
- Sponsored HB 1553, which authorized certain kinds of visas for undocumented children who are victims of abuse, neglect, or abandonment[11]
- Co-sponsored SB 667, which would have prohibited cities and counties from entering into contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement[11]
Climate and energy
edit- Voted in favor of requiring all energy production to be from renewable sources by 2050[11]
Health care and abortion
edit- Voted in favor of repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 158, which aims to reduce racial disparities in medical care[11]
- Co-sponsored SB 25, which established abortion rights protections[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 2, which established rights for people in pregnancy and childbirth[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 345, which prohibited tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and alternative nicotine products for people under the age of 21[11]
- Co-sponsored SB 667, which limits the cost of insulin to $100 per 30 day supply[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 158, which requires schools to provide free period products in school bathrooms[11]
- Co-sponsored HB 1321, which authorizes access to mental health resources for first responders[11]
Personal life
editVilla earned her master of social work at Aurora University and worked as a school social worker in Villa Park District 45.[12]
Villa resides in West Chicago.[13]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karina Villa | 22,133 | 53.81 | |
| Republican | Tonia Jane Khouri | 18,997 | 46.19 | |
| Total votes | 41,130 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karina Villa | 60,238 | 51.0 | |
| Republican | Jeanette Ward | 57,976 | 49.0 | |
| Total votes | 118,214 | 100.0 | ||
References
edit- ^ "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 25" (PDF). May 18, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ Krishnamurthy, Madhu (November 6, 2018). "Villa wins handily in 49th House race". Daily Herald.
- ^ Pearson, Rick (18 February 2019). "Dairy magnate Jim Oberweis launching GOP challenge to first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Rich (November 13, 2020). "You missed an Oberweis loss, Rick". Capitol Fax. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ Barlow, Sarah E. (ed.). "Biographies of New House and Senate Members" (PDF). First Reading. 34 (1). Illinois General Assembly Legislative Research Unit. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Election results - Chicago Tribune". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ "Illinois State Senate District 25". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ "Karina Villa on Instagram: "THIS SUNDAY! Join us for a great time and meet Governor Pritzker and LT. Governor Stratton! 🤍💙 #westchicago"". Instagram. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ "Karina Villa". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "Illinois General Assembly - Senator Committees". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Villa, Karina (October 20, 2018). "Illinois House 49th District Democratic nominee: Karina Villa" (Interview). Interviewed by Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Candidate Detail CD". www.elections.il.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ "Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ "Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 11, 2019.