Hastings named to Illinois Senate leadership

State Sen. Michael Hastings was named Tuesday to Senate President Don Harmon's leadership team as the majority caucus whip.

Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park, was recently elected as the 39th president of the Illinois Senate to replace the retiring John Cullerton.

"I am deeply humbled President Harmon has given me the distinct honor of serving on his leadership team," Hastings, D-Tinley Park, said in a news release. "I have no doubt that under his leadership we will continue down the right path as we move into the next part of the 101st General Assembly."

Hastings has represented the 19th Senate District since 2012 when he was elected as one of the youngest senators in state history. He was raised in Orland Hills and served in the U.S. Army.

Hastings laid out his priorities for the 2020 legislative session. Those priorities include investing in clean energy infrastructure, continuing to improve mental health care programs, increasing efficiency and coordination between state and local government, fully funding early childhood education and investing in K through 12 programming, and passing a balanced, bipartisan budget.

“While we accomplished monumental tasks in 2019, we have our work cut out for us in 2020," Hastings said in the release. "First and foremost, the inexcusable culture of corruption and greed in Springfield must end. As elected officials, it is our duty to live up to the oath we took to serve our constituency, and that mandate should not be taken lightly by anyone.”