House Bill 824 - Ending "pay to play" politics. Senator Harmon was the primary Senate negotiator of House Bill 824, landmark ethics legislation to end Illinois' reputation for "pay-to-play" politics.  The legislation prohibits State contractors from making a contribution to the office holders who gave them the contract. 

House Bill 886 - Elevator Safety Bill. Senator Harmon sponsored Senate Bill 886 in response to numerous calls, letters, and e-mails I received from condominium owners concerned about onerous new rules for elevator maintenance that were set to go into effect in 2009.  These required upgrades were going to be extremely expensive, and, in some cases, perhaps unnecessary.  Thanks to Senate Bill 886, these rules won't become effective until 2013, allowing the necessary time to determine which upgrades make sense and which don't.

Senate Bill 664 - Property Tax Relief. Senate Bill 664, which Senator co-sponsored, provides meaningful property tax relief to Cook County property through a three-year extension of the 7% "cap" on property tax assessments.  This legislation also creates a long-time occupant homestead exemption, which brings relief to homeowners who have owned their residence for ten years or more. This bill is now law.

Senate Bill 15 - Post-partum Depression. Inspired by the story of a constituent, Senator Harmon was proud to sponsor Senate Bill 15, which assists new mothers struggling with post-partum depression. This legislation requires all healthcare professionals to provide sufficient education regarding post-partum depression and its symptoms to women and their families during prenatal care. It also requires healthcare professionals to invite new mothers to take questionnaires in order to detect any signs of post-partum depression during any postnatal check up. This bill is now law.

Senate Bill 1686 - Reforming Cook County Government. Senator Harmon has made reforming Cook County government a priority. In Senate Bill 1686, which he sponsored, control of the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center was transferred from the Cook County Board President to the Chief Judge of Cook County.

Senate Bill 1184 - Clean and Renewable Energy. With the help of former Representative Deborah Graham, Senator Harmon was able to pass legislation requiring a significant increase in the use of renewable sources of electric power such as wind and solar energy, and to enact meaningful energy efficiency measures. This bill not only helps to protect our fragile environment and reduce our dependence on traditional power sources, but it also makes Illinois one of the leaders in renewable power generation.