Senate President Harmon believes that the opportunity and obligation to end racism and hate falls upon the entire community. He has worked closely with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus to advance a reform agenda founded on four pillars: criminal justice reform; education and workforce development; economic access, equity and opportunity; and health care and human services. 

This agenda will make Illinois one of the first states to eliminate cash bail, meaning that no person can be held in jail because they cannot afford to pay a certain amount of money, and puts forth significant changes to the use of force guidelines and qualified immunity for police officers. The Senate President understands the importance of these changes and remains dedicated to ensuring that the laws in Illinois reflect that Black Lives Matter.

He has also sponsored an anti-hate group measure in the Senate which argued that far-right extremism divides America and promotes hate, as well as laws that reformed sentences for juvenile offenders and required more transparency from police who seize property from innocent civilians. The Senate President has shown he is a strong advocate for improved relations between communities, their police, and the criminal justice system.

Senate President Don Harmon is a strong advocate for equality and rights for all people in Illinois. He voted for marriage equality in Illinois and co-sponsored legislation to prohibit discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation. Don continues to work as an ally to the entire LGBTQ+ community. 

Don is a strong supporter of women’s rights and passed legislation ensuring that women are paid the same wage as men for doing the same job. Senate President Don Harmon has consistently supported a woman’s right to choose, and he has also sponsored and supported laws to protect rape and domestic violence victims. 

Senate President Don Harmon is a leader in protecting and enhancing voting rights, and recently supported automatic voter registration in Illinois. He has also championed legislation extending grace period registration through Election Day, allowing voters to register on the day of the election, and expanding the number of early voting days and locations. 

Senate President Don Harmon believes putting Illinois back on the right financial track is the state’s number one priority, as it affects our ability to invest in education, public safety, transportation and other government priorities. This also means focusing on a response to the COVID-19 pandemic so that we may provide support to those who have been hurt economically, mentally, and physically by this public health crisis. 

Don knows the financial problems we are wrestling with today have been more than a century in the making, and it’s going to take more than one year or one election to solve them.

He led the fight to end the Rauner budget impasse, and voted to pass a responsible budget that puts the people of Illinois first by funding vital services and tax credits for working families.

Senate President Harmon believes our families need tax relief and cost-saving local government consolidation measures. Despite the challenges the fair tax faced, Don will continue to find progressive and equitable solutions to fund our state. 

One of the very first bills Senate President Harmon introduced and passed in the Illinois Senate created the Illinois Early Learning Council. He believes strongly that one of the greatest public investments a society can make is its children. A strong economy starts with strong schools, and he has consistently voted to increase education funding for our public schools and universities.

He has fought to support our most vulnerable students and has voted to fund tuition assistance to middle- and low- income college students and wrote a law to expand access to federally-funded breakfast at K-12 schools. 

Senate President Harmon is also a passionate advocate for early childhood education. His leadership on this issue led to creation of the Preschool for All program, which significantly expanded access to pre-school opportunities for thousands of Illinois families.

Senate President Don Harmon is working to make Illinois government more ethical, accountable and responsible. He was the chief sponsor of the ban on “pay-to-play” campaign contributions and the campaign finance reform law that imposed the first-ever contribution limits in Illinois.

Don pushed for a bill that would force increased transparency on dark money groups who spend millions on elections but hide their donors from taxpayers. The Senate President has also voted to consolidate redundant government, reform government purchasing, and to implement term limits for Senate leaders.

Senate President Harmon fights to keep our families and communities safe from the scourge of gun violence. Don has voted against the NRA 100% of the time, received strong support from anti- gun violence groups, and is a vital voice for families and law enforcement. He voted against concealed carry, and supports universal background checks and increased penalties for gun violence against children. 

He will continue to fight to stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities and has sponsored bipartisan legislation that requires state-level licensing and responsible business practices for gun dealers in Illinois.

Don pushed for a bill that would force increased transparency on dark money groups who spend millions on elections but hide their donors from taxpayers. The Senate President has also voted to consolidate redundant government, reform government purchasing, and to implement term limits for Senate leaders.