Karen May

Karen May (born 1944) is a former Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 58th District, serving from 2001 to 2012. The district includes parts of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Northbrook, and Riverwoods.

May received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She and her husband live in Highland Park where they brought up their two children.

In a May, 2010, Chicago Tribune article, May was cited as the third most frequent flyer on state owned aircraft in the entire legislature (29 times from July, 2009 to April, 2010). May's explanation for her use of state aviation resources was that driving or taking the train takes a toll on her previously injured neck and back. The controversial nature of these trips, according to the same Tribune article, is that the Illinois Auditor General has determined that their cost to the taxpayers is significantly higher than other forms of transportation ($100 for a car trip vs. $270 for a plane ride between Chicago and Springfield one way).