Longtime lawmaker reflects on time in General Assembly, calls it ‘honor
of lifetime’
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[May 21, 2022] By
GRACE KINNICUTT
Capitol News Illinois
gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – House Majority Leader Greg
Harris, the number two Democrat in the Illinois House of
Representatives, never imagined landing the role of state representative
– or that he would leave office feeling that he has been successful at
it.
The first openly LGTBQ leader in Illinois History, Harris, 66, of
Chicago, has served eight terms in the Illinois House. He currently
represents the 13th District encompassing parts of Uptown, Ravenswood,
Lincoln Square, North Center, West Ridge and Bowmanville.
“It was an honor of a lifetime to get elected and serve,” Harris said.
“Even more to be able to serve in a leadership role and help the state
get through multiple challenges.”
In November 2021, Harris, who has become a lead Democratic voice on
budget issues and countless others, announced he would not seek
reelection after completing his term.
Harris said he was stepping down because he achieved most of his
priorities over the years and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussion
grew about the need to change the system and let new, younger voices
take control.
“It just seemed like a logical time to leave and let a whole new
generation of leaders take charge in the House,” Harris said.
A Colorado native, Harris moved to Chicago in 1977 with a journalism
degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder that he would instead
use in marketing and governmental relations at the National Home
Furnishings Association.
The association eventually left Chicago in 1988, but Harris stayed and
helped organize a program that delivered home-cooked meals to AIDS
patients. He co-founded that program, Open Hands Chicago, replicating a
similar program in San Francisco. It was the city’s first in-home meals
program targeted to people living with HIV and AIDS and has become
Chicago’s largest food provider with that purpose.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/21/images/ads/current/peasley_lda_051513.png)
“At the time, we were just groups of people sitting around our kitchen
tables, figuring out how do we get food to people or how do we get
health care for people,” Harris said.
Harris, who has lived with HIV for more than three decades, recalled at
the time that there were no similar services offered by the federal
government. As Harris and the organizers continued to watch people they
knew getting sick and dying from the virus, they decided to be proactive
with the meal program.
Tom Tunney, Chicago Alderman of the 44th Ward, said he first met Harris
when volunteering and offering the kitchen of his Lakeview restaurant to
Open Hands Chicago. Tunney took over the Ann Sather restaurant in 1980,
helping to produce meals for the organization.
Tunney said Harris has remained a close friend and political advisor to
him throughout the years and that Harris has always assisted when
needed, including with work on the LQBTQ-focused Center on Halsted.
“Without Greg Harris, whether it’s the Center on Halsted to AIDS funding
or the AIDS garden along the lakefront, it wouldn’t have happened
without his assistance,” Tunney said. “He is a valued friend and a
leader for his and my generation.”
Following his community activism, Harris served as the chief of staff to
former 48th Ward Chicago Alderman Mary Ann Smith for 14 years before
being elected to the Illinois House in 2006.
Harris was first appointed to appear on the ballot in the November 2006
general election when Chicago Democratic Rep. Larry McKeon, who was,
like Harris, openly gay and HIV-positive, announced his intention to
retire in July of that year.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/21/images/ads/current/qualityinn_sda_PROM_2022.png)
McKeon had already been nominated as the Democratic candidate in the
March primary. Selecting a replacement nominee was the task of five
Democratic ward committeemen in McKeon’s district.
“I watched what (McKeon) was able to do and saw there were so many
things that needed to be done for the LGBTQ community and thought, I
should take a chance on trying to get this job,” Harris said.
Harris has since been re-elected seven times, never facing a challenger.
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![](../images/052122pics/news_b3.jpg)
House Majority Leader Greg Harris introduces a budget bill in April
2022 during his last term in the General Assembly. (Capitol News
Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/21/images/ads/current/rohlfs_sda_graduation_2022.png)
One of the most notable bills Harris spearheaded during his time in the
General Assembly was a measure legalizing same-sex marriage.
The measure passed the Senate 34-21 on Feb. 14, 2013, and passed the
House, 61-54, on Nov. 5, 2013. Then-Gov. Pat Quinn signed it that
November and it went into effect June 1, 2014.
But the journey to legalize marriage equality in Illinois was a
long-fought battle with opposition on both sides.
Harris first introduced legislation for marriage equality in February
2007, but it died in committee. For the next few years, he would
reintroduce legislation in each new General Assembly, but it would fail
to move from committee.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/21/images/ads/current/siu_sda_PROM_2022.png)
But in January 2013 Harris and former State Sen. Heather Steans filed
Senate Bill 10 for marriage equality that moved out of the Senate
Executive Committee in early February and onto the Senate floor for a
full vote.
On the last day of the spring session in May, months after the Senate
had already approved the bill, Harris chose not to call it for a final
vote on the House Floor.
He recalled that last day of the spring session in 2013, explaining that
he made the tough decision because he was anticipating its defeat, and
seeing the bill fail would have been a “catastrophic strategic mistake.”
Fundamental rights were at play, he said, and many in the General
Assembly were hesitant to support it.
Harris said that representatives were willing to vote yes if they knew
for certain that they were going to be on the winning side of history
that day.
“If you burn people, they’re not going to come back the second time and
vote again,” Harris said.
In the following months, Harris and other advocates for marriage
equality lobbied representatives who were on “the cusp of indecision.”
Harris noted the driving force of advocating for marriage equality came
down to motivating constituents and their family members, faith leaders
and other local elected officials to tell their representative how
important the issue is to them.
“We really focused on how do we find people in all those communities to
go tell their representatives there are people in this community who
this is really important to,” Harris said.
When lawmakers returned to session in November 2013, the measure passed
with one vote to spare.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/21/images/ads/current/graue_sda_042021.png)
In 2010, Harris was also the lead House sponsor of Senate Bill 1716,
which established the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil
Union Act that recognized civil unions of same-sex couples in the state.
Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, who is also stepping down after this
term, said he wishes there were more individuals like Harris in the
General Assembly, because he has always kept an open mind and was
willing to work with anybody.
Batinick recalled the first time he met Harris. Batinick was a freshman
lawmaker, it was his first day on the House floor and Harris walked over
to introduce himself, shook his hand and asked Batinick if he’s one of
those policy regulators.
“I laughed and told him I just go where I think the policy takes me,”
Batinick said.
The pair worked together on improving mental health funding in the
state, a common issue important to both lawmakers.
Harris reflected on his own past experiences and struggles with drugs,
alcoholism and mental health, which he said served as a reminder that
there are people in need of help, and government officials have an
obligation to ensure support services are available.
“I was that guy one time, who was desperate and sort of scrambling for
people to help him and I want to be sure that I think about others the
same way,” Harris said.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news
service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400
newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press
Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. |