About Karen May

I am serving my sixth term as a State Representative in the Illinois General Assembly. I am dedicated to reforming our state government and our public pension systems, stabilizing our state finances, and improving state government transparency.

I have introduced bills this year to reform our state pension systems, to stop double-dipping by state employees, to reduce excessive state pension payments, to promote government transparency, to lower health care costs for small businesses, to promote public safety by returning FOID cards of offenders to the State Police, to protect disabled citizens by instituting a 911 bracelet system, and to require prompt deposit of funds collected by the state.

My committee assignments reflect my dedication to quality-of-life issues. I am an advocate for quality public education for all students, protecting open space and the environment, providing quality health care, preserving reproductive choice for women, helping the developmentally disabled and seniors, and standing up for consumers. In addition, I have been appointed to the Nuclear Legislative Workgroup of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Last year I introduced bills to increase school funding in districts where military bases take away precious dollars from education, to protect endangered natural wetlands, to ban sniper rifles in the state, and to prevent the sharing of personal information by financial institutions.

I earned my bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and have taken graduate-level courses. I served on the Highland Park City Council and chaired the Historic Preservation Commission, providing more than 10 years of public service to my community. For over 20 years I owned a small public relations business employing seven people.

I have been active in many charitable, educational, and civic organizations in Highland Park and Lake County, including serving as vice president of the League of Women Voters of Highland Park and on the Board of Directors of the United Way. My husband, Mort, and I have deep roots in Highland Park, where we have lived for 35 years and raised our two children, Andrew and Marci.

While being a legislator is an all-encompassing lifestyle, I still enjoy playing tennis and walking to the lake or working out. Mort misses me when I am in Springfield, but he is kept company by our beloved dog, Brandy. We are now experiencing a whole new chapter in our lives with our four grandchildren: Jackson, born in December 2006; Melanie, born in December 2009; and twins Ada and Owen, born in January 2012.