SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois Senate President Don Harmon issued the following statement on the passing of former state senator Deanna Demuzio:

“Deanna Demuzio dedicated her life to community and public service. Along the way, she made great friends and taught us all so much about how to be better. She fought hard to improve our education system after years spent working at Lewis and Clark Community College and to fight for better health care given how it affected her family. She took up all of this after tragically losing another great friend of Illinois, her husband, Senator Vince Demuzio.

SPRINGFIELD – Senate President Don Harmon released the following statement after the board of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol voted to remove statues of Stephen Douglas and Pierre Menard from the Capitol grounds:

“The decision to remove these statues and give Dr. King’s statue a rightful place on the Capitol grounds is certainly a step in the right direction. It is also the beginning of what I hope to be a longer conversation about how we can do better to accurately represent our state’s past. I thank members of our caucus for bringing these concerns to light.”

OAK PARK – Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) announced a grant of $12,500 to fund a mentoring program at Elmwood Park Library.

“Libraries provide a wide array of services to our communities, including valuable programming for young adults,” Harmon said. “This grant will help students gain skills that will set them up for success.”

The funding comes from Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White’s 2021 Project Next Generation grants to 28 public libraries statewide. PNG is a mentoring program created by Secretary White and administered through Illinois public libraries. Project mentors work with middle and high school students as the participants develop skills to use various technologies, achieve success through project-based learning and gain life skills such as effective communication, goal-setting and conflict resolution.

“I am committed to improving the lives of at-risk youth in Illinois,” said White.  “I established this innovative program when I first became Secretary of State to give students an opportunity to receive hands-on experience with the latest technological tools at their local library.”

Projects were awarded grants from the Illinois State Library using federal Library Services and Technology Act funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Grants are awarded to public libraries serving culturally diverse, low-income and underserved populations. For more information, visit http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/grants/png.html.

SPRINGFIELD – Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) announced $1.7 million for new energy efficient windows at Triton College in River Grove.

This investment is made possible by the historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan the Senate passed in 2019.

“Our ability to continue to invest in our communities through the Rebuild Illinois plan is a bright spot in the midst of the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” Harmon said. “It is critical that we invest in our educational institutions now so that they are able to serve Illinoisans for years to come as our state recovers.”

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) announced four appointees to the Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission, a group created to help guide Illinois through the reopening process following stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Senators Christopher Belt (D-Centreville), Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) and Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) will represent Senate Democrats on the commission. 

“These senators bring a regional diversity and passion for serving their constituents to this commission,” Harmon said. “I know they will do an excellent job advocating for the people of Illinois so that we can safely move forward toward a new normal and a thriving economy.”