Former Illinois State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Paul Simon-Edgar Statemanship Award. The annual award is presented to an elected Illinois government official who has served their community with civility, courage, and bipartisanship.
Curries served in the General Assembly from 1979 to 2019, and was appointed as House Majority leader in 1997.
She was still in office when Edgar served as governor. Edgar remarked on her service, “Barbara and I did not always agree on policy issues, but I’ve always respected her dedication to public service and her idealism.”
Nominations for the Simon-Edgar award open in February of each year, with the winner being presented in August.
