Since 2003, State Sen. Iris Martinez has fought for the needs of those in the 20th District, working on issues close to her heart, such as women's health care and affordable housing.
Martinez was the first Hispanic woman elected to the Illinois Senate, and holds a leadership role as Assistant Majority Leader, where she works alongside Senate President Emil Jones. She is seeking re-election because she wants to continue fighting for those who need it the most.
Martinez has focused largely on legislation that provides affordable housing for seniors and low-income families, daycare and healthcare. She worked to ensure agencies in her area, such as the AIDS organization Children's Place, received enough funding to continue providing much-needed programming, and has also focused on women's issues.
WCT: How do you think you've most improved the lives of those in your district?
IM: There are many things going on within the district, as well as the whole state of Illinois. We have social services that got cut on a federal level. When you talk about health issues, for instance, mandating these insurance companies for cancer testing, mammograms, ovarian cancer—there are a lot of things. We're talking about making sure with insurance companies those kinds of mandates are important. We can do a lot of preventative care early on before we spend so much money on the after-the-fact. With women, it's pretty fatal. We're talking about breast exams and cervical tests. It's important we mandate those kinds of tests be done. It's an important part of insurance coverage. We're talking about a very serious illness or fatality. That's one of the things I've worked very hard on.
When it comes to trying to find more affordable daycare, I put in $2 million in a project in the 33rd Ward called the Concordia Community Center [ which provides daycare and programs for senior citizens ] . It serves low-income families, working families.
WCT: People who need it the most.
IM: Right. It's very important we have daycare available for working moms. It's very important to me. I was a single mom myself. I always say that it's important that the experiences I had—trying to find affordable housing, trying to find affordable daycare, bringing up my daughter on my own—were very important things for me to bring up when I came to the Senate. Those are experiences you cannot understand—unless you experienced them yourself. [ My focus is on ] the quality of life for people in my district, especially women, because we are the caregivers. We do it all.
We took care of affordable housing. Right now, we're losing so much rental space. Everything is converted into condos. Right now, we threw a real estate fee on a real estate transaction. … That goes into a rental fund to help subsidize some of these landlords that can apply to make their apartments available to low-income families because are helped with this rental subsidy. ... To me, affordable housing is something I feel is important that I've been involved in. Again, I'm offering a better life for the people in my district who don't want to move out. I think that kind of helps.
I'm a very issue-oriented legislator. I'm about looking for anything and everything that could improve the quality of life. Based on my record, if you look at everything that is on it, you will see that all the legislation that I've been able to sponsor has been about that. Not technical, rinky-dinky stuff, I've been able to really get in some substance, like housing preservation.
WCT: The 20th District is really diverse. You don't want to push people out.
IM: Exactly, and some of these big buildings were subsidized through the federal government—HUD [ Housing and Urban Development ] buildings. A lot of those buildings were 20 and 30 years in the making, and now a lot of those buildings are beginning to end their contracts.… You have a lot of people living in those, especially these subsidized buildings. In order to turn it over to the developer, they need to first offer it to the tenants association. They are given a one-year opportunity in order to organize to buy it back at a fair market value for the area. Through a lot of the city and state programs that are out there, we've been able to salvage a few of these senior buildings.
We need rental space in this area because everything has gone condo, like Wicker Park and Bucktown. I think Logan Square is one of those very few wonderful places that people can live in where rental is still available. One of my jobs is to make sure we can find those resources to keep that conversion from happening.
WCT: Let's go back to healthcare, which is clearly a large issue for you. The 20th District is largely Hispanic, and that community has been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. Tell me a little bit about the work you've done for that community?
IM: I've participated in and co-sponsored bills that deal with HIV programs out there, so we can continue to put more resources in. When it comes to the budget, part of my participation is to watch the budget, make sure that HIV housing is available and there is money for it. Right now, one of the things that I was involved in was making sure that with the comprehensive housing plan that takes effect next year, what were making sure is there is enough dollars that is going to supportive housing for people living with HIV/AIDS. It's a huge issue. When it comes to housing, that is my number one priority. Through the housing plan that now exists, we are making sure that … there is a substantial amount of money that is geared towards housing, and making sure there is housing for those with HIV for the HIV residents I have out there, and all over. I told people, housing doesn't just deal with poor people. It needs to deal creating affordable housing in all areas for middle- to low-income families. That is the bottom line. …To me it's making sure that as we are creating more housing dollars, that affordability is included in that, which includes HIV supportive housing.
WCT: What has been your experience working on behalf of the LGBT community, and where do you stand on some of the key issues?
IM: I'm a very firm believer that people have to live, and let live. I'm a firm believe that we are all people that want better lives. We all want a better life, and a better place to raise our children. To me, it doesn't matter what sexual preference you have, what gender. I'm really a strong believer that people have to live their live. As long as it's productive, who cares what their sexual orientation is? It has to do with the quality of live. I am here to provide for my residents. Civil unions, to me, is something that is a personal choice between two individuals. Government should not be involved in none of that. … I don't judge people. I'm not going to judge. I'm here to serve the community who elected me. I don't care where they come from, what their background is, what their race is. I'm a person who is here to represent my people in this district, and that is everyone of every walk of life. It's a very private matter to me. I don't think that government should be involved in that.
WCT: You sound like you're all about getting people the basics they need, like affordable housing and healthcare?
IM: Exactly. We are all human beings who deserve nothing but the very best from our government—that's the bottom line.
WCT: What are some key issues you think need to be tackled in Springfield if you are re-elected to office?
IM: The CTA is a huge issue for me. I have the Blue Line right here. But we have to look at it long-term. We have to look at long-term solutions, …so there is no Doomsday. The CTA and RTA need to get their act together. …Is it a General Assembly issue? Not entirely. Local government has to be involved, especially Chicago, with what is going on in Springfield. …It is a local, state and federal issue, a combination of all three. People can't continue to blame the legislature. Let's be fair here. … I want to look at the whole picture of everything combined. Not one government is only responsible. We have to find a solution, and a long-term solution, together.
WCT: Speaking about working together, one of your opponents has criticized the leadership in Springfield about the overtime session and government running at a standstill. How do you respond to that, and what do you think needs to change in Springfield to get things running smoother?
IM: I think the leaders need to come together. I've had the pleasure of working with [ Senate President ] Emil Jones. Emil Jones is a very easygoing person who, I think, has the greatest intentions. At the end of the day, people are going to be critical of the governor, but he was elected by the people. When we talk about the leadership, I think the Senate president and the governor have had a very decent working relationship because at the end of the day, he's our governor.
Looking at him, he's not about raising the taxes on people. Give the man credit on that. He did not raise people's income tax. He was very consistent when it came to what he believes in. Government has been able to function without raises taxes on the people. Now, he believes in health care. Let's be honest. 1.2 million people are running around out there without health insurance. What is that doing to health care out there? It shoots it up. I'm very critical of the insurance industry. I really think the insurance industry really needs to be overhauled. … What has the governor always wanted? More health insurance for more people. What is wrong with that? … Some people are buying their own [ health insurance ] and it's $700-800 dollars. It's awful. How bad has he really been when all he has ever wanted to do is find a way we can pay for health care for the 1.2 million people that are out there? I don't think that's a bad thing.
Now, look at the House. We have a speaker [ House of Representatives Speaker Mike Madigan ] who, I feel, has not really participated or been fair to our governor and [ Senate ] president as far as trying to reach agreements and reach a consensus of what is the best for the well-being of Illinois. Who is really invested in the well-being of Illinois?
I think if the two leaders had a better working relationship with that third leader, we will be better—but all three have got to participate. They have to leave their ego at the door when it comes to negotiating what is best for the state of Illinois. But it's also being able to agree to disagree. Everybody needs to compromise. Being in leadership as I had and watching the overtime session and watching us try to come together, I don't feel that our Speaker really gave his best in trying to reach a compromise As a person, someone who sat through some of these overtime sessions, it was either one way or no way, and there was no compromising coming from the Speaker. … I think that's where the issue really was. They will not compromise. We have to compromise in order to move ahead, and I didn't see that happening too much. We need to be able to work together. … At the end of the day, when you look at the governor's agenda, I think he had good intentions all along. I don't think the media gives him enough credit or criticizes the Speaker's behavior. ... The three leaders had equal blame, but the blame always seemed to be shifted by the media to President Emil Jones and the governor.
WCT: Besides having been in a leadership role, what can you bring to the table your opponents can't?
IM: First of all, I'm a woman. We're the caregivers of everything. I look at my district as my family. I want to take care of my district like my family. I don't think the two male opponents can ever think like that and look at it the way I look at it. I have 20 years of experience in my district. I have 20 years of public service, working with the city, the homeless, domestic violence. I've worked in so many capacities the years I've worked for the city. I bring that experience.
You know what? I could have moved out of the state. My family all lives in Florida.… To me, I miss my family. … But my passion for my community does it all. This isn't about power. I don't have an ego. I'm very down-to-earth, humble. I come from a very humble background. My mother and father were factory workers. I come from a middle- to low-income family. When I got divorced, I raised my little one all on my own in Humboldt Park. I don't come from money. … I had to fight for everything in my life from as young as I can remember to today. I can say I have risen to a level in my life that is about my community and providing for them. When you look at what I can bring to the table, I got all that.
It's my passion for the community—always working to make a difference in people's lives and their quality of life, and having the power as a senator to make sure I can bring to my district the very best. And fight, when it comes that budget, fight for more resources for my district. That is the difference that I have. The leadership role the Senate President put me in, I was very honored, very flattered. It has caused me a lot of problems. I've had to the fight the battle where men don't want to see women on the rise. I'm not talking about all men, but my culture with Latina women who are giving orders. It's a very traditional culture. ... That's okay, but deal with this now, because this is a new era. In reality, I have so much to bring because I have the passion within me. The commitment. I will continue to work to be the voice for the community. The powerhouse people think I am is a powerhouse for them. I'm not about titles, I'm not about this title thing that these guys are all so hung up on. I'm not about that. At the end of the day, when I leave my office, I'm Iris Martinez, just another person that lives in the community, trying to give the very best and live a safe life in the community. … I bring a different kind of passion to the Senate. I can leave whenever I want, but I'll leave when I do with my head held high, knowing I impacted peoples lives somehow in some way. I'll know people's lives were changed because of the work that I did.
…Do I think my opponents will keep or bring that change? Absolutely not.
See www.friendsofirisymartinez.com .
