From Pension Reform to Concealed Carry, State Rep. Fran Hurley Reflects on First Months in Office

By Christine Schmidt

State Rep. Fran Hurley has had quite a year. Not only is the freshman lawmaker a newcomer to elected office, she entered the State House in what is arguably one of the most politically tense and historically important sessions.

“This is a busy, big vote kind of year,” Hurley said. “I’ve talked to people who’ve said we haven’t taken this many big votes for all the years they’ve been down there, and this year we have. It’s an interesting year to be a state legislator.”

Interesting is one way to describe the first seven months of Hurley’s term. She has seen pension reform, same-sex marriage and concealed carry all worked on in the Capitol, to name just a few.

It’s a big way to begin your career as an elected official.

“I can swim, but the deep end is out there,” she said about staying afloat in such a bustling and varied legislative year. She expressed her concern over the gridlock but remains optimistic. 

“[The pension problem] has been a process of 30 years,” Hurley said. “It’s going to take some time to figure out. I have complete faith that this conference committee will come up with something.”

She said she has attended all the informational meetings about the pension funds and recognizes the close watch her constituents are keeping on the process.

She expressed support for “coming up with a comprehensive plan that involves a little bit of both. I did cosponsor the original [Senate bill] which was not heard in the House.” Hurley said she is hopeful that something soon will happen, but legislators are waiting for actuaries to determine the cost of the plans. 

The concealed carry law, which recently overrode Governor Quinn’s amendatory veto, was another significant piece of legislation on which Hurley voted, making Illinois the final state in the nation to legalize concealed carry.

“We needed to pass some kind of legislation because the federal court said we had to. I voted yes” on the bill, Hurley said. “It’s a start…we had to have something or else Tuesday night everyone could’ve been walking around with no guidelines.”

She said she agreed with some aspects of Quinn’s amendatory veto: “Some of it made sense, you know, guns and alcohol don’t mix.”

Hurley acknowledged that with such a widespread constituency, in a district covering Beverly, Mt. Greenwood, Orland and parts of Palos, she has to look at what’s best for everyone. “Every vote I take, a portion of the constituency is not going to be happy,” she said. “But you just have to try to do the right thing.”

Hurley knows her work can change lives’ for the better or the worse. “I don’t sleep as well as I used to, because there’s some pressures,” she said. “It’s not like getting somebody a garbage can when I used to work in the city office. You have to look at everything; you have to listen to the Carbondale people and the Chicago people” as an elected official on the state level.

She considers the possibility of having a positive impact the best part of her new job. “I passed a couple bills that will hopefully make a difference,” Hurley said, citing a bill that closed a loophole allowing sex offenders to be in places like McDonald’s play areas. “If I saved one child, I think that’s great…. I still like to help people, that’s why I got in this business initially.”

Hurley urges residents to contact her to ask questions about legislation or express their views, including on same-sex marriage. When asked if she is a supporter, she said, “I’m still listening to everybody.”

After a year and a half spent campaigning and walking the neighborhoods of her district, Hurley said she values getting constituents’ input on legislation.

“I get emails and calls from all over the district, so I’m talking to everybody,” she said. “I try to respond to everyone, try to get a feel of their thoughts [on a bill]. I encourage everyone to call me if they have questions, just to call, write, email, stop by.”

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