Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) was presented with a 2016 Champion of Democracy award from Common Cause Illinois Wednesday night.

Harmon was recognized for his advocacy on behalf of early childhood education, government oversight and ethics, and expanded voting access.

Common Cause noted Harmon’s efforts to bring same-day voter registration to Illinois, as well as online voter registration and an expanded early voting period.

Harmon also supports proposed legislation to introduce automatic voter registration in Illinois. Such a system would allow eligible voters to automatically update their voter registration any time they update or renew their driver’s licenses.

“I will take whatever criticism is leveled at me for trying to expand access to the vote, because I cannot imagine a scenario where our world is not better off with more people participating,” Harmon said.

“If we make it easier to vote, to register, make it easier to get to the polling place on Election Day or to vote early by mail – the more we do to include people in our democracy, to include people in our decision making, the better decisions we’ll make.”

Harmon thanked Common Cause for the honor of being a 2016 champion of democracy, noting that while he is flattered and humbled to be singled out, he is happy to share the recognition with all of the people who have a hand in the initiatives he’s championed.

“It is so important that we make government more accountable, more transparent and – I think most importantly – less responsive to big money,” he said. “We are better off as a democracy when the field is level, when everyone’s voice is heard, when no one’s voice is so amplified that it drowns out everybody else’s voice.”

• Watch the video interview Common Cause did with Senator Harmon.

Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) was among the members of Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus to be publicly acknowledged by President Barack Obama during his speech to the Illinois General Assembly Wednesday in Springfield.

Obama noted Illinois' role as a progressive leader in the nation – championing matters of diversity, the working class and voting access – and challenged the state to keep it up. The president offered a shout out to Harmon regarding his recent efforts to allow same-day voter registration.

"Thanks to the good work of my dear friend, Senator Don Harmon, and many of you, there's a new law going into effect this year that will allow Illinoisans to register and vote at the polls on Election Day," Obama said. "It expands early voting – something that makes it a lot easier for working folks and busy parents to go vote."

Harmon was lead sponsor of Senate Bill 172, which expanded same-day voter registration in Illinois. It was the latest effort by Harmon to modernize the voting system in Illinois and make it easier for people to participate in elections.

Harmon said he is thrilled that President Obama considers voter participation a key component of improving American government.

"I think he put forth a plan for what could be a real turning point for the American body politic. I look forward to being part of this important conversation,” Harmon said.

• Read President Obama's speech or watch it here.

(Photo: Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus pose for a photo with President Barack Obama, a former Democratic Illinois state senator, prior to his speech at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.)

Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement about President Barack Obama’s address to the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016:

“President Obama delivered a magnificent speech to the Illinois General Assembly and offered a timely call for a better politics. It was simultaneously a reminder of the nobility of public service and a warning about the fragility of our democracy if we don’t work every day to protect it.

“I was thrilled that the president made voter participation a key ingredient in his recipe for a better America. I think he put forth a plan for what could be a real turning point for the American body politic. I look forward to being part of this important conversation.”

Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement today about former Illinois Senate President Phil Rock, who has died at age 78.

“Phil Rock is a giant in Illinois politics. His ability to get things done and his unerring sense of fairness should be the standard to which all of us in politics hold ourselves,” Harmon said. “I will always be grateful for his kindness, his decency and his sense of duty to encourage young people to engage in politics. He devoted his public life to make Illinois a better and more humane place for all of us, and he succeeded.”

Rock was an Illinois state senator representing Illinois' 8th District, including Oak Park and parts of Chicago's west side, from 1970 until his retirement in 1993. He was president of the Illinois Senate from 1979 to 1993.

It is vital that government continues reassessing how it handles juvenile justice, Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) said Thursday in response to two high-profile developments on that front this week.

President Obama on Monday announced plans to reform the federal prison system by banning solitary confinement for juvenile inmates and expanding mental health treatment for them. Illinois abandoned solitary confinement for juveniles last year.
In addition, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week found that a 2012 decree barring automatic life terms for young offenders also applies to past crimes.

The ruling reinforces a 2014 Illinois Supreme Court decision that mandatory life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional.

In 2015, Harmon negotiated and sponsored legislation last year that became law giving Illinois judges more discretion when they hand down sentences for minors accused of serious crimes.

“If we really care about fairness and second chances, we must be willing to regularly re-evaluate sentencing guidelines and other criminal justice policies, especially with regard to young offenders,” Harmon said. “Whenever it is sensible, prudent and possible to give people a chance to redeem themselves and become good neighbors, we should seize those opportunities.”