Maria Antonia Berrios: Difference between revisions

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'''Maria Antonia "Toni" Berrios''' (born April 24, 1977) is aan American politician and former [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[Illinois House of Representatives]], where she represented the 39th District from 2003 to 2015. She was the first [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Rican American]] woman to serve in the [[Illinois]] House. She represented the 39th District from 2003 through 2015. Berrios was a second-generation Representative in the Illinois House, beingis the daughter of [[Joseph Berrios]], who was formerly a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, and currently the [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]] [[Assessor (property)|Assessor]], and chairman of the Democratic Party of [[Cook County Democratic Party]].

Berrios is the daughter of politician and [[lobbyist]] [[Joseph Berrios]], currently theformer Cook County [[Assessor (property)|Assessor]],<ref>{{Cite andweb|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-fritz-kaegi-cook-county-assessor-20181203-story.html|title = New Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi cleans house of Joe Berrios workers, says change will take time| website=[[Chicago Tribune]] }}</ref> former chairman of the Democratic Party of Cook County,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cookcountydems.com/party.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927140800/http://www.cookcountydems.com/party.htm |archive-date=2015-09-27 |title=About the Cook County Democratic Party}}</ref> and formerly a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and a Commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review, a [[property tax appeal]] panel. Berrios graduated from [[Northeastern Illinois University]] with a Board of Governor’sGovernor's Degree,<ref name="il">{{cite web |url=http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=1881 |title=Representative Maria Antonia Berrios (D) |accessdate=17 March 2011 |publisher=Illinois General Assembly}}</ref> a [[non-traditional student|non-traditional degree]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neiu.edu/~neiutemp/Merant/ACMediaDeploy/Academics/Nontraditional%20Degree%20Programs/Board%20of%20Governors%20Degree/Board_of_Governors_Degree.html |title=Board of Governors Degree |accessdate=2014-02-26 |publisher=[[Northeastern Illinois University]] |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303204246/http://www.neiu.edu/~neiutemp/Merant/ACMediaDeploy/Academics/Nontraditional%20Degree%20Programs/Board%20of%20Governors%20Degree/Board_of_Governors_Degree.html |archivedate=2014-03-03 |df= }}</ref>

The 39th District of the Illinois House of Representatives was newly created in the 2001 redistricting after the 2000 census to encourage additional Hispanic representation. The district is on Chicago’sChicago's Northwest Side and includes parts of the [[Avondale, Chicago|Avondale]], [[Belmont Cragin, Chicago|Belmont Cragin]], [[Hermosa, Chicago|Hermosa]], [[Logan Square, Chicago|Logan Square]], and [[Portage Park, Chicago|Portage Park]] neighborhoods. At age 25 and newly graduated from college, Berrios ran unopposed in the 2002 primary and general elections.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Father's Love |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/a-fathers-love/Content?oid=914444 |first=Ben |last=Joravsky |date=January 29, 2004 |accessdate=2014-03-02 |newspaper=[[Chicago Reader]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Illinois House of Representatives |date=November 7, 2002 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=httphttps://articleswww.chicagotribune.com/2002-/11-/07/news/0211070395_1_williamillinois-davishouse-generalof-electionrepresentatives-election-tables227/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Joe Berrios Gets Financial Boost From Daughter's Campaign Fund |url=httphttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/01/joe-berrios-raids-daughte_n_777006.html |accessdate=2014-03-03 |date=November 1, 2010 |publisherwork=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref> Berrios was the first Puerto Rican American woman to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite news |title=Will Guzzardi: 24, Ivy League-Educated, and Running Against Joe Berrios’sBerrios's Daughter |url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/Felsenthal-Files/October-2011/Will-Guzzardi-Versus-Toni-Berrios-for-State-Representative-in-the-39th-District/ |accessdate=2014-02-26 |date=October 2011 |first=Carol |last=Felsenthal |work=[[Chicago Magazine]]}}</ref> Berrios' [[political action committee]], Citizens for Maria A. Berrios, has received campaign contributions from many of the same [[property tax appeal]] law firms that contribute to the multiple campaign funds controlled by her father, Joseph Berrios, who is the Cook County Assessor and a former Commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review.<ref name=friendly>{{cite news |title=Cook County Campaign Contribution Limits to Board of Review Not Being Enforced; The Friendly Bar: A county effort to cap campaign donations by property tax attorneys turns out to be toothless |first=David |last=Bernstein |work=[[Chicago Magazine]] |date=October 2010 |url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2010/Cook-County-Campaign-Contribution-Limits-to-Board-of-Review-Not-Being-Enforced/ |accessdate=2013-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Assessor Candidate Benefits From Property Tax Lawyers |first1=Dan |last1=Mihalopoulos |first2=Darnell |last2=Little |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2010-01-29 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/us/29cncassessor.html |accessdate=2012-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Back Room |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=March 11, 2002}}</ref> Berrios' political campaign committee has received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from the campaign fund controlled by [[Michael J. Madigan]], the Speaker of the Illinois House and chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.<ref>{{cite news |title=Madigan consolidates power by holding sway in legislative races; House speaker's massive campaign operation chooses winners and losers in primary battles |date=June 5, 2012 |first1=John |last1=Chase |first2=David |last2=Kidwell |first3=Ray |last3=Long |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=httphttps://articleswww.chicagotribune.com/2012-/06-/05/news/ct-met-madigan-campaignconsolidates-operationpower-20120605_1_madiganby-legislativeholding-racessway-in-legislative-sessionraces/ |accessdateaccess-date=2014-03-08}}</ref> In October, 2010, Berrios' campaign committee contributed $50,000 to her father's campaign for Assessor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Claypool lays out Cook tax shift, blames Berrios, clout |url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101027/news/710289819/ |first=Ted |last=Cox |newspaper=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois) |date=October 27, 2010 |accessdate=2014-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Races for Cook County Assessor, Board President, and Board of Review Combine for $3.6 Million Fundraising |url=http://www.ilcampaign.org/cook-county-ascessor-race-contributions-election |date=October 27, 2010 |accessdate=2014-03-08 |publisher=[http://www.ilcampaign.org/ Illinois Campaign for Political Reform] |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308203934/http://www.ilcampaign.org/cook-county-ascessor-race-contributions-election |archivedate=March 8, 2014 |df= }}</ref>

Berrios has been a member of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation since its founding in 2004. In forming the Foundation, each of the Hispanic Representatives in the Illinois House selected a member of its Boardboard of Directorsdirectors, and Berrios selected lobbyist Alfred Ronan of Ronan Potts LLC. For two years, the group failed to register and file financial reports with the State of Illinois and was fined. Ronan Potts LLC paid a $350,000 fine after admitted to a multimillion -dollar bid-rigging scheme in the expansion of [[McCormick Place]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Hispanic legislative group fails to register |date=October 15, 2004 |first1=Ray |last1=Gibson |first2=Laurie |last2=Cohen |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |accessdateaccess-date=2014-02-26 |url=httphttps://articleswww.chicagotribune.com/2004-/10-/15/news/0410150173_1_illinoishispanic-regulatorslegislative-chicagogroup-democratfails-to-register/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ILLCF Foundation Governance |url=http://asoft9140.accrisoft.com/illcf/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=governance |accessdate=2014-03-02 |publisher=Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://archive.istoday/20140303212739/http://asoft9140.accrisoft.com/illcf/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=governance |archivedate=2014-03-03 |df= }}</ref> Berrios chairs the Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs, a national organization of Hispanic legislative caucus leadership from 12 [[United States|U. S.]] states and territories.<ref>{{cite web |title=Members |url=http://www.bohcc.com/members/ |publisher=Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs |accessdate=2014-02-02}}</ref>

Berrios conceded defeat in the March 18, 2014 primary election in which she sought re-election to a seventh term.<ref>{{cite news |title=Berrios concedes defeat in fight for state House seat |date=March 18, 2014 |first1=Ray |last1=Long |first2=Maura |last2=Zurick |accessdateaccess-date=2014-03-21 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=httphttps://articleswww.chicagotribune.com/2014-/03-/18/news/chiberrios-illinoisconcedes-generaldefeat-assemblyin-20140318_1_chicagofight-teachers-unionfor-state-house-seat-deb-mell/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Guzzardi handily defeats Berrios in 39th House race |date=March 18, 2014 |first=Dan |last=Mihalopoulos |accessdate=2014-03-21 |url=http://politics.suntimes.com/article/springfield/guzzardi-handily-defeats-berrios-39th-house-race/tue-03182014-811pm |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322082345/http://politics.suntimes.com/article/springfield/guzzardi-handily-defeats-berrios-39th-house-race/tue-03182014-811pm |archivedate=March 22, 2014 |df= }}</ref> ''[[Capitol Fax]]'' editor Rich Miller called the primary "the ugliest race in Illinois."<ref>{{cite news |title=The ugliest race in Illinois |date=March 12, 2014 |first=Rich |last=Miller |url=http://capitolfax.com/2014/03/12/the-ugliest-race-in-illinois/ |accessdate=2014-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Berrios-Guzzardi race about more than hipsters vs. Hispanics |date=March 11, 2014 |first=Dan |last=Mihalopoulos |accessdate=2014-03-21 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=http://politics.suntimes.com/article/springfield/berrios-guzzardi-race-about-more-hipsters-vs-hispanics/tue-03112014-537pm |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322083116/http://politics.suntimes.com/article/springfield/berrios-guzzardi-race-about-more-hipsters-vs-hispanics/tue-03112014-537pm |archivedate=March 22, 2014 |df= }}</ref>

Berrios is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Chicago.<ref name="il" /> She is on the Board of Directors of Tabula Rasa, a proposed transitional living program to address serial incarceration of male high school and college students.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.tabularasachicago.org/aboutus.html |accessdate=2014-03-02 |publisher=Tabula Rasa |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302203912/http://www.tabularasachicago.org/aboutus.html |archivedate=2014-03-02 |df= }}</ref>

*[httphttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/toni-berrios Toni Berrios] archive in ''[[The Huffington Post]]''

[[Category:American peoplepoliticians of Puerto Rican descent]]

[[Category:21st-century American politicianslegislators]]

[[Category:21st-century American women politicians]]