UPDATE: Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 724 on Sunday, May 5 in Oak Park. The legislation takes effect immediately. Click on the links below to read more about the signing of this legislation or read further for the original press release relating to this bill.

Read more:

Quinn signs liquor law at Maya del Sol (OakPark.com)
New law will allow incoming Oak Park Mayor to keep liquor-serving restaurant (CBS Chicago)

Original Release, April 22, 2013:
SPRINGFIELD – Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) is sponsoring legislation that would clear away a state hurdle preventing Oak Park Village President-elect Anan Abu-Taleb from also holding a liquor license. The measure, Senate Bill 724, passed the Illinois Senate 47-3 on April 18 and is expected to be taken up by the House when it returns to the Capitol in two weeks.

The 1934 Liquor Control Act established that suburban mayors or village presidents would also serve as local liquor control commissioner, but to avoid conflicts of interest, could not hold liquor licenses in the communities that elected them.

The General Assembly amended the law last year to exempt communities of 50,000 or less and provide for delegation of liquor commissioner duties to another official in such cases.

SPRINGFIELD – In 1998, Senator Don Harmon’s hometown of Oak Park was first in the nation to establish a domestic partner registry by ballot referendum. Today, Senator Harmon joined the local gay and lesbian community in celebrating the Illinois Senate’s historic passage of legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

Harmon, the lead co-sponsor of 2009 legislation authorizing civil unions in Illinois, said that while the unions have been a step in the right direction, they don’t provide the full legal protection, social recognition or religious blessings of marriage.

“Couples in loving, committed relationships should be able to declare, with pride and dignity, that they are married. They should be able to enjoy both the celebration and the commitment that accompany marriage. If we’re serious about extending equal rights to same-sex couples, we must approve gay marriage in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD – State Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement on the Illinois Senate’s vote to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 300,000 people, an expansion that will be 100 percent paid for by the federal government in its first three years and at least 90 percent covered after that.

“Today, the Illinois Senate said that hundreds of thousands of uninsured people deserve access to health care. We’ve told them that we value them as human beings and that they shouldn’t have to rely on emergency rooms for routine care. I firmly believe that we are doing the right thing, and I urge the House and the governor to take action on this plan as soon as possible.

“Not only are we doing the right thing by providing coverage for low-income people who currently don’t have it, we’re doing the smart thing. Providing access to primary and preventive care in physicians’ offices and community health centers is a far more rational approach to health care than relying on high-cost emergency room visits for more routine matters. We’re helping people live healthier lives and avoid hospital stays that can impose heavy costs on them and on all taxpayers.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement in response to the passing of former State Comptroller and Senator Dawn Clark Netsch:

“Dawn Clark Netsch’s death is a huge loss for the state of Illinois. She will be long remembered for her leadership in Illinois government, and for never letting any barrier stand in her way.  She was an important voice for progressive causes when Phil Rock was Senate president, and that made her part of our extended Oak Park family.  We supported her when she won her race for Comptroller and when she was the first woman to run for governor in a general election. I know I wouldn’t be where I am now without her. She was one of my earliest boosters.  Even in retirement, she stayed engaged.  We served together on the campaign finance reform task force, and to the very end she kept us all honest and focused.  We will miss her greatly, and should all strive to live up to her legacy.”