Donne Trotter

{{Short description|American politician (born 1950)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Donne Trotter | image = Donne Trotter.png | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|01|30}} | birth_place = Cairo, Illinois | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | birth_name = | office = Member of the Illinois Senate | constituency = 16th district (1993–2003) 17th district (2003–2018) | term_start = {{start date|1993|01|13}} | term_end = {{ end date |2018|01|19}} | preceded = Ethel Skyles Alexander | succeeded = Elgie Sims | state_house2 = Illinois | district2 = 25th | term_start2 = {{start date|1988|12|01}} | term_end2 = {{end date|1993|01|13}} | predecessor2 = Carol Moseley Braun | successor2 = Barbara Flynn Currie

| party = Democratic | other_party =  | spouse = Rose Trotter | partner =  | relations = | children = Four | alma_mater = Chicago State University (B.A.) Loyola University (M.J.) | occupation = | profession = Hospital Administrator | committees = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Donne Trotter''' (born January 30, 1950) is a former Democratic Party member of the Illinois Senate, representing 16th district from 1993 to 2003 and the 17th district from 2003 to 2018. Previously, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1988 through 1993. On January 19, 2018, Trotter announced his retirement from the Illinois Senate.<ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Rich|title=Sen. Donne Trotter retires|date=January 19, 2018|newspaper=Capitol Fax|accessdate=January 22, 2018|url=https://capitolfax.com/2018/01/19/sen-donne-trotter-retires/}}</ref>

==Early life== Trotter was born in Cairo, Illinois, but is a lifelong resident of Chicago. He attended the University of Arizona and Chicago State University where he earned his bachelor's degree in History and Political Science. He went on to earn his Masters in Health Administration and Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. His first political experience was as a voter registrar for Ralph Metcalfe in 1974.<ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Rich|title=Sen. Donne Trotter has been a great asset for Illinois|date=January 24, 2018|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=March 30, 2018|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/miller-sen-donne-trotter-has-been-a-great-asset-for-illinois/}}</ref>

==Illinois Senate== As a senator, he sponsored legislation that would allow adults to purchase sterile syringes from pharmacies without a prescription. He co-sponsored a bill that allows individuals to file a petition asking for their personal police record to be sealed after which no one would have access to the records except law enforcement agencies.

Trotter worked to provide health care to low-income families. He fought to include funding in the state budget for the ''FamilyCare'' program, which provides health insurance to the parents of children enrolled in ''KidCare''.

In 2001, Trotter sponsored and passed the law that created the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.<ref>{{cite web|title=Governor Blagojevich signs bill making Illinois' 'Safe Havens' for Abandoned Babies Act permanent; Reminds public that law protects parents who turn newborns over safely |url=http://www.state.il.us/DCFS/library/com_communications_pr_Jul142005.shtml |publisher=Illinois Department of Children and Family Services |accessdate=11 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123171809/http://www.state.il.us/DCFS/library/com_communications_pr_Jul142005.shtml |archivedate=23 January 2013 }}</ref> The legislation provides that birth parents may legally leave a newborn at a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical facility. If neither child abuse nor neglect is suspected, no questions are asked.

Trotter is a vocal advocate of gun control laws, having cosponsored 31 bills on the issue.<ref>{{cite web|title=Adequate Health Care Task Force Member Contact Information and Biography|url=http://www.idph.state.il.us/hcja/members/trotter.htm|accessdate=1 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kleine |first=Ted |title=Is Bobby Rush in Trouble? |url=http://www1.chicagoreader.com/obama/000317/ |publisher=Sun-Times Media, LLC |accessdate=5 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011074701/http://www1.chicagoreader.com/obama/000317/ |archivedate=11 October 2012 }}</ref>

He served as Assistant Majority Leader during his time in the Illinois Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilga.gov/Senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=1012|title=''Trotter Illinois State Senator''|publisher=ilga.gov|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230052525/http://ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=1012|archivedate=2010-12-30|url-status=dead|accessdate=2010-12-01}}</ref>

===Committee assignments=== In the 99th General Assembly Senator Trotter is a member of the following committees; Energy and Public Utilities, Appropriations I, Executive, the Committee of the Whole and the Special Committee on Oversight of Medicaid Managed Care. He serves on the Executive Committee's Subcommittee on Governmental Operations and its Subcommittee on Gaming. He is also the vice-chairperson of the Appropriations II committee.

==Congressional campaigns== In 2000 Trotter made an unsuccessful bid for the United States House of Representatives in the Illinois's 1st congressional district against Bobby Rush and then-State Senator Barack Obama. Trotter ran for Congress again in 2013 special election in Illinois's 2nd congressional district.

==Arrest== On Wednesday, December 5, 2012, Trotter was charged with "attempt to board an aircraft with a weapon", which is normally a Class 4 felony, after Transportation Security Administration agents found a .25 caliber Beretta handgun and magazine loaded with six live rounds, which were in the outer pocket of a garment bag. The incident occurred at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, as Senator Trotter was attempting to board a flight to Washington, D.C. Trotter was held in police custody pending an appearance in bond court the following day, Thursday, December 6.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cops: State senator tried to board plane with unloaded gun, clip|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-state-senator-charged-with-trying-to-board-plane-with-weapon-20121205,0,6048413.story|accessdate=6 December 2012|newspaper=Chicago Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=TSA: State Sen. Donne Trotter tried to bring handgun, bullets through O'Hare security|url=https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8909665/|access-date=5 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207201938/http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=8909665|archive-date=7 December 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=State Sen. Donne Trotter faces felony weapons charge|url=http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1665845203/State-Sen-Donne-Trotter-faces-felony-weapons-charge|accessdate=5 December 2012|newspaper=State Journal-Register}}</ref> On December 6, a Cook county judge set bond for Trotter at $25,000. Trotter was released after posting $2,500 bail. Trotter's next court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=Babwin|first=Don|title=State Sen. Trotter released on weapons charge|url=http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1665845939/State-Sen-Trotter-to-post-bond-on-gun-charge|accessdate=7 December 2012|newspaper=State Journal-Register|date=6 December 2012}}</ref> The Class 4 felony with which Trotter was charged normally carries a sentencing range of one to three years in prison if he is convicted of that charge, and under U.S. and Illinois laws, conviction of a felony normally prohibits someone, at least for a time (depending upon the seriousness of the felony), from holding public office. However, on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Thomas Durkin, Trotter's attorney, stated that his client had entered a guilty plea, in a plea deal approved by the judge, to a misdemeanor count of reckless conduct (Trotter allegedly had worked a part-time security job, and had forgotten that the weapon was in a garment bag). The misdemeanor plea allows him to keep his job without fear of impeachment or removal, and the conviction will be stricken if Senator Trotter completes a year of non-reporting court supervision.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130616145425/http://www.pjstar.com/free/x715746804/Ill-state-senator-pleads-guilty-to-boarding-flight-with-gun Unknown]</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20151117235013/http://my.ilga.gov/Member/Index/1876?tab=1&chamber=S Biography, bills and committees] at the 99th Illinois General Assembly ** By session: [https://web.archive.org/web/20151117234314/http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=2107 99th] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130516115718/http://ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=1876&GA=98 98th], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130227031324/http://www.ilga.gov/senate/senator.asp?GA=97&MemberID=1651 97th], [https://web.archive.org/web/20140814184819/http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=96&MemberID=1440 96th], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130530005017/http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=1235&GA=95 95th], [https://web.archive.org/web/20150930202418/http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=94&MemberID=1012 94th], [https://web.archive.org/web/20151022095938/http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=765&GA=93 93rd] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140106194935/http://www.senatedem.ilga.gov/index.php/sen-trotter-home Senator Donne E. Trotter] at Illinois Senate Democrats * {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=6290 | fec= | congress= }} * [http://idph.state.il.us/hcja/members/trotter State of Illinois Health Care Task Force]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} member profile

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-il-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Carol Moseley Braun}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 25th district|years=1988–1993}} {{s-aft|after=Barbara Flynn Currie}} |- {{s-par|us-il-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Ethel Skyles Alexander}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Illinois Senate from the 16th district|years=1993–2003}} {{s-aft|after=Jacqueline Y. Collins}} |- {{s-bef|before=Lisa Madigan}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Illinois Senate from the 17th district|years=2003–2018}} {{s-aft|after=Elgie Sims}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trotter, Donne}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Chicago State University alumni Category:Democratic Party Illinois state senators Category:People from Cairo, Illinois Category:Loyola University Chicago School of Law alumni Category:University of Arizona alumni Category:African-American state legislators in Illinois Category:Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Category:Native American state legislators Category:Illinois politicians convicted of crimes Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly