State Sen. Heather Steans, a veteran North Side Democrat who was one of the driving forces behind legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois last year, is resigning her seat as of Jan. 31.
Steans was appointed to the Senate in 2008 and elected to a new two-year term in November. Her resignation announcement coming five days after she was sworn in for another term.
Steans said one factor in her decision was increasing family obligations, including helping care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, she said. But Steans said she has no immediate career plans.
“I really care deeply about the city and the state, so I’m sure I’ll stay involved,” Steans said.
In addition to working for years with state Rep. Kelly Cassidy and other lawmakers to make recreational pot legal in Illinois, Steans was one of the chief budget negotiators for Senate Democrats.
Cassidy, whose House district comprises half of Steans’ Senate district, said she intends to seek the appointment to the vacant seat.
The marijuana legislation passed with great fanfare and was touted for its focus on diversifying the predominantly white industry and creating greater social equity, though it has fallen short of some of those goals so far — something Steans acknowledged in announcing her resignation.
“Heather has been a valiant partner in forcing state government to address the historic racism and discrimination that has left too many of our families behind,” said Toi Hutchinson, Pritzker’s top marijuana adviser and Steans’ former Senate colleague. “Heather’s voice and leadership in that ongoing battle will be missed.”
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Steans and her fellow budget negotiator, former Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill, both publicly backed Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford of Maywood in last year’s contest for Senate president, a role that ultimately went to Sen. Don Harmon of Oak Park. Manar resigned last week and as of Tuesday is a senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Harmon issued a statement calling Steans “a forceful advocate for progress and problem solving, who fearlessly tackled many of the biggest issues in our society and was always looking for her next challenge.”
Among other legislative successes, Steans also sponsored legislation that legalized same-sex marriage in Illinois in 2014, a year before it became legal nationwide through a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to represent the most diverse Senate district in the state of Illinois,” Steans said in a statement. “I’ve benefited tremendously from the many perspectives of the people a I’ve represented. We’ve made great progress together, and now it’s time to pass the baton.”
Steans said she is staying out of the process of choosing her replacement, though she said she thinks “Rep. Cassidy would make a greater senator.”
Democratic committee leaders in the lakefront 7th Senate District, which stretches from the North Center neighborhood north into Evanston, will select Steans’ replacement to serve out her term. All state House and Senate seats are on the ballot in 2022 after the upcoming legislative redistricting, based on the results of last year’s census.
As the 49th Ward committeewoman, Cassidy controls about 22% of the weighted vote in choosing Steans’ successor, based on the number of ballots cast in the November election for Steans, who ran unopposed. The largest share, 27% of the weighted vote, is held by 48th Ward Ald. Harry Osterman, who also serves as the ward’s Democratic committeeman.
Steans, 57, is the daughter of prominent banker and philanthropist Harrison Steans, who died in 2019.
Chicago Tribune’s Jamie Munks contributed from Springfield.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
