A Chicago lawmaker known for her musical spin on Springfield issues died this morning.
Esther Golar was a state representative from the city’s south side.
It was known that Representative Golar was sick with cancer for a few weeks now.
Recently, her illness was put on full display in the House of Representatives. There were some critical bills calling for a vote, and Democrats needed every vote they could get.
Democratic Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth was close with Golar.
“Esther should have not have left the hospital. She should not have gone. She should not have made that trip in that car. She shouldn’t have. But she did because she believed in it,” Gordon-Booth said.
Gordon-Booth called a bill that day to roll back cuts to child care. It ended up failing by one vote - despite Golar’s yes vote.
Golar was a 10-year veteran of the House of Representatives, perhaps best known in Springfield for her delivery on the House floor. It sometimes invoked songs from the civil rights movement.
“Esther wouldn’t sing the original rendition. She would often give it the little Esther-ism that would change it to make it fit the occurrence that we were dealing with at that time,” Gordon-Booth said.
For example, one of her performances included the refrain “Fighting against right to work, we shall not be moved.”
Republican Governor Bruce Rauner had enacted some of the policies Golar left the hospital to vote to undo. In a statement, Rauner called Golar a “pillar of strength in her community” and a champion for housing and education.