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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| <- |
2009-01-01 |
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| Name | Sara Feigenholtz |
| Address | 3213 N. Wilton Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60657, United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 11, 1956
(67 years)
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| Contributor | Wishful Thinking |
| Last Modifed | RBH
Aug 28, 2016 01:08am |
| Tags |
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| Info | State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, 52, is a long-time leader on critical issues affecting families across Illinois, from health care reform to education funding to providing help to senior citizens who want to live independently. For more than 14 years, she has rejected the partisanship and game playing in Springfield in order to pass trailblazing laws that have made a positive difference for millions of Illinoisans.
After defeating a 16-year incumbent in 1994, Sara quickly became one of the state's leading voices on health care and human services reform. Working with then-State Senator Barack Obama, she was a lead sponsor of the Family Care Bill, which expanded access to vital health services for the uninsured. In 2005, she championed the groundbreaking All Kids law, which provides every child in Illinois with comprehensive, affordable health insurance.
A leader on women's health issues, Sara was the chief sponsor of legislation requiring insurance coverage for breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatment. She also passed a separate law requiring insurance companies to cover breast cancer screenings for younger women, potentially saving thousands of lives. In 2005, Sara created Ticket for the Cure, a first-of-its-kind scratch-off lottery ticket that provides funding for breast cancer research. Sara also sponsored and worked to pass the Contraceptive Equity Act, which requires insurance companies that offer prescription drug benefits to include contraceptive coverage for women.
Sara has also fought to provide older adults and people living with mental illness and developmental disabilities with more choices in their lives. She expanded the Community Care Program, allowing older adults to age with dignity while remaining in their homes through expanded in-home care.
Sara also expanded the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides lifesaving drugs and treatments for people living with HIV/AIDS. Illinois now leads the Midwest in funding for the ADAP program.
In addition to increasing access to health care, Sara also championed ethics reform and transparency in government. She co-sponsored a measure that prohibits anyone with a state contract worth more than $50,000 from making campaign contributions to officeholders who oversee the awarding of the contract. Sara also passed House Bill 419, which prevents elected officials convicted of felonies related to their official duties from being appointed or running for office again.
Sara has consistently voted for legislation to boost state education funding, to take pressure off of local property taxes and give Illinois schoolchildren a better chance to succeed. She believes that arts, music and foreign language instruction is vital to children's academic success and has worked with education advocates to maintain and enhance arts education in our public schools.
A lifelong resident of Cook County, Sara has fought to reduce skyrocketing property taxes that are driving seniors and working families out of their homes. In 2003-2004, she worked with the Tax Reform Action Coalition (TRAC) and other groups to reduce skyrocketing property taxes by expanding the homeowner exemption so that the assessed taxable value of a home would not increase by more than 7% each year.
Sara was born and raised on Chicago's Northwest Side. Her father, Bernard "Pep" Feigenholtz, was a salesman who died when Sara was eight. She was raised by her mother, Dr. Florence R. Buky, who emigrated from Eastern Europe as a child and put herself through medical school - one of only two female graduates in her class. Sara would often go on house calls with her mother, coming to believe strongly that health care should be a right for all Americans.
Sara obtained her degree from Northeastern Illinois University. In 1982, she became chief-of-staff to then-State Representative John Cullerton. Later, Sara established her own small business called SKF Consulting, becoming a prolific fund-raiser for progressive causes.
Sara is Chair of the House Human Services Appropriations Committee in the Illinois General Assembly. She resides in the Lakeview neighborhood and is a member of Anshe Emet Synagogue
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