With no challenge to his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives this November, the atmosphere during a fundraiser held for Rep. Greg Harris at Sidetrack in Lake View on Sept. 25 was more of a victory celebration honoring the achievements of the incumbent since he took office while looking ahead to those yet to come.
A number of the beneficiaries of his efforts told Windy City Times they were there to show support and express their gratitude to Harris for keeping a promise he made when took over the 13th District seat that Rep. Larry McKeon held eight years ago. When that announcement came after midnight on Aug. 30, 2006, Windy City Times reported that Harris pledged to work for the people. "I know the issues that are on the minds of the people in the neighborhood because I've dealt with them every day for a decade," Harris said that night. "I have tried to make my community a better place for all, and I will fight for our community in Springfield."
According to the Citizens for Greg Harris, that fight has reaped, among other victories, the passage of marriage equality, Medicaid expansion & hospital rate reform, new protective services for persons with disabilities, nursing home reform, expansion of services for homeless youth, immigrant and refugee services, and the expansion of substance abuse treatment and youth programs.
The presence at Sidetrack of just a small portion of the community and advocacy groups Harris provided a testament as to how his work has changed the lives of the people they support.
Children's Place Association Director of Development Dan Dever said he was there to show his appreciation for Harris' work. "We provide services for children and families suffering from severe illness such as HIV as well as poverty," he told Windy City Times. "Greg has helped us by making sure that we have enough funding for our early learning program. It's the only center specifically for HIV affected children in Illinois."
In his capacity as chief government relations officer for the Illinois Hospital Association, AJ Wilhelmi has worked closely with Harris in a push for healthcare reform. "Greg is a super legislator who is engaged in the issues of healthcare and human services," Wilhelmi said. "He has a passion for people, not only in his district but to do the right thing for the people across the state."
Pat Ewert serves as the community outreach coordinator for Harris' colleague and co-sponsor of the push for Illinois marriage equality Rep. Kelly Cassidy. Ewert's historic Nov. 27, 2013, marriage to Vernita Gray was the first in the state after same sex-marriage became legal. "Greg was so important in the fight for equal marriage that I have to celebrate him any way I can," Ewert said. "Greg took so much heat when things got difficult. I have tremendous respect for him and support him 100 percent."
Harris told Windy City Times that he has no intention of resting on his laurels. "There are so many needs that must be met," he said. "Job one will be taking care of the most frail and vulnerable in our state. I will be working with the governor and my colleagues in Springfield to be sure that we have money going forward to fully fund education. A lot of folks are reliant upon the state for Medicaid funding. We know that, by the year 2020, about thirty percent of our population will be seniors. We must be there for them."
He added that his work with the LGBTQ community is also far from done. "We're going to be seeing new rules coming forward that will forbid discrimination against trans* people in private health insurance and a rule that will remove restrictions on Illinois Medicaid program payments for medically necessary treatments for trans* health care," Harris stated. "Those are two major hurdles where, right now, people can be denied adequate health care just for who they are."
Harris added that trans* equality has reached a heightened level of awareness in Springfield on both sides of the aisle. "We should not be treating one group of citizens with less respect and dignity than another," he said. "The people who want to turn back the clock and push the closet door shut must be left unable to gain any traction."
Harris said he believes there are multiple ways to combat the cycle of violence against transgender people in Chicago. "A lot if it has to do with finding stable and affordable housing," he said. "We have to make sure that youth have decent education and job skills and that there are employers in their neighborhoods who will hire them. We've all got to step up and those of us who are blessed with privilege must do our share to reduce this violence. One way or another, we're all paying for it in losses to humanity of good, valuable people who are suffering."
