Don Harmon
Don Harmon | |
|---|---|
| Illinois Senate President Pro Tempore | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2011 | |
| Governor | Bruce Rauner |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 39th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Dan Cronin (redistricted) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 26, 1966 Oak Park, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Oak Park, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Knox College (B.A.) University of Chicago (M.B.A.) University of Chicago (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Don Harmon (born November 26, 1966) is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 39th District since 2003. His district includes Chicago's Austin neighborhood and the suburbs of Oak Park, Addison, Bensenville, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Melrose Park, Northlake, River Grove, Rosemont, Schiller Park, and Stone Park.[1] In January 2009, incoming Senate President John Cullerton appointed Harmon Assistant Majority Leader. Harmon has since been appointed Illinois Senate President Pro Tempore.
Early life and career
Harmon was born and raised in Oak Park where he attended St. Giles Grade School. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School on Chicago's west side, Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and the University of Chicago (law degree and MBA). After law school, Harmon served in Springfield on the House legal staff.
Political career
In August 2000, Don Harmon was nominated by members of the Democratic Party of Oak Park to fulfill the term of former Illinois Senate President Phil Rock as Oak Park Democratic Committeeman. He was then elected to his first full term as Committeeman in 2002 and has since been re-elected in 2006 and 2010. In 2010, Harmon was elected to serve as the Suburban Vice-Chair of the Democratic Party of Cook County.
Illinois Senate
First elected in the fall of 2002, Harmon has promoted a progressive agenda in the Illinois Senate. During his first term he served alongside then-State Senator and now former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Harmon sponsored legislation creating the Illinois Early Learning Council to create policy recommendations regarding the education of children from birth to age five. The result of that effort was the Pre-School for All program implemented throughout the state. He also authored the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003 to prohibit discriminatory policies by state, county or local governments, and to preserve for Illinois citizens civil rights protections eroded by recent U.S. Supreme Court Decisions.
Additionally he helped pass legislation to eliminate two obsolete taxing districts-the Cook County Tuberculosis Sanitarium District and the Cicero Township Trustee of Schools saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
Committee assignments
In the 99th General Assembly, Harmon serves as the Chair of the Executive Committee as well as the Executive Committee's Subcommittee on Election Law. He is the Vice Chair of the Assignments Committee. He serves on the Judiciary Committee, the committee's Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments and is the Chair of its Subcommittee on Firearms.[2]
References
- ^ "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 59" (PDF). 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
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External links
- Biography, bills and committees at the Illinois General Assembly
- Senator Harmon's Constituent Services Website
- Senator Harmon's Campaign Website
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Senator Don Harmon at Illinois State Senate Democrats