Rep. Harry Osterman
(D-Chicago)
14th District

District Information
5535 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 784-2002
(773) 784-2060 (fax)

E-mail: harryosterman@gmail.com

"I am committed to representing the best interests of the hard-working families and individuals from the north side of Chicago. My progressive agenda reflects the concerns people have brought to my office: preventing crime and fighting domestic violence; strengthening our schools; guaranteeing basic social services; protecting our parks and lakefront; improving mass transit; defending human rights; encouraging affordable housing; controlling health care and prescription drug costs; and protecting a woman's right to choose." -Harry Osterman

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*Bill sponsorship and committee information courtesy of the Legislative Information System

Biography

Since being appointed to fill the vacancy of Carol Ronen in the Illinois House in 1999, State Rep. Harry Osterman has earned a reputation as an active and responsive legislator. A lifelong resident of Chicago's North Side, Osterman has focused most of his attention on the neighborhood's top concerns: improving our schools, defending public safety, protecting social services and preserving our parks and beaches.

As a member of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, Osterman has worked to improve public schools throughout Illnois and focused attention on the ever-growing need to increase state funding for our schools. Osterman believes that a good education system depends on attracting the best teachers, reducing class sizes, and providing up-to-date textbooks and other modern teaching tools like computers. In his first term, Osterman secured additional funding for Edgewater and Rogers Park schools. Having faced-down potential budget cuts since that time, Osterman will continue to protect school funding for Chicago, ensuring our kids have the knowledege and skills they need and deserve to get ahead in life.

Osterman's efforts to make our neighborhoods safer began when he worked as an aide to 48th Ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith. There, Osterman worked with community organizations on anti-crime and public safety issues and served as a staff liaison to the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State's Attorney's office. Through his work, Osterman helped law local police target crime-infested areas in the community.

As a legislator, Osterman has drawn upon his experience working with law enforcement to make significant public safety strides. Osterman recieved broad praise for passing tougher penalties for violent and repeat doestic abusers. Osterman also toughened criminal penalties for unlicensed drivers, enacted a ban on teen-luring Bidi cigarettes, and secured state grants for the CAPS programs in the 20th and 24th police districts.

One of Osterman's top public safety and law enforcement issues is the fight for safe, sensible gun-control legislation in the Illinois House. Osterman was a co-sponsor of the successful re-enactment of the Safe Neighborhoods Act, which made unlawful possession of a loaded weapon a felony. He also sponsored legislation to ban the sale, manufacture and possession of semi-automatic weapons in Illinois. Osterman even took on the NRA, blocking attempts by the gun-manufacturing lobby to undo Chicago's local gun control ordinance.

Since taking office, Osterman has fought to ensure that state social service programs continue to meet the basic needs of area residents. Osterman co-sponsored the FamilyCare initiative, which provides health care coverage to parents in working poor families. Osterman also helped expand the Circuitbreaker pharmaceutical program for low-income senior citizens, increased funding for social services for legal immigrants by $1.5 million, and protected programs addressing mentally illness and developmental disabilities from the budget axe across the board.

Finally, Osterman has long been an advocate for improving North Side parks. He led efforts to renovate Senn Park and negotiated the transfer of Broadway Armory Park from the state to the Chicago Park District to ensure future programming for area residents. Osterman has also worked to clean up Lake Michigan and protect our beaches, passing a resolution urging state and local governments to cooperate to end the string of beach closings which have plagued the community.

A lifelong resident of Chicago's Northside, Osterman has served as President of the Edgewater Community Council, a member of the Edgewater Development Corporation and as a Deputy Commissioner in the City of Chicago's Streets and Sanitation Department.

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