Welcome to Senator Mike Simmons' Legislative Website

Simmons celebrates opening of new Ravenswood Metra Station

Caption: State Senator Mike Simmons attends ribbon cutting ceremony at Ravenswood Metra Station. 

CHICAGO – After a long awaited major reconstruction, State Senator Mike Simmons attends the opening dedication of the new inbound side of Ravenswood Station on the Union Pacific North Line on Tuesday, bringing the reconstruction project to completion.

"I am thrilled to see the new Ravenswood Metra Station officially open today right here in the Lincoln Square/Ravenswood community where I grew up and have many fond memories,” said Simmons (D-Chicago), who serves on the Senate Transportation Committee. “The new facilities — including warming shelters, longer platforms and ramps — are the kind of investments we need in our transportation facilities to increase ridership and restore the health of our regional transit.”

The new platform was the final part of the Ravenswood Metra Station project, a project part of an even larger $167 million plan to replace aging bridges along the UP North Line on the North Side of Chicago. The station was rebuilt in stages in order to keep two tracks open for service during construction. Funded with a combination of federal, state and local capital sources, the station is now fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, has new shelters on both platforms, longer platforms and is designed to improve loading times, which will result in more timely and efficient train service.

“I am happy to see the investments we have been calling for to increase ridership in our transit systems come to fulfillment. From the ADA compliance to the additional platform space, this is a major win for transit equity, ” said Simmons. “Thank you Metra, Alderman Matt Martin and all the stakeholders who worked so hard to get us to this point."

 

Watch State Senator Mike Simmons' full remarks in the video below.

 

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Senator Simmons on His Ties to Underground Railroad, Youth Mental Health, and Upcoming Traveling Office Hours

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to fire off a special edition newsletter with some new and interesting content. First, I had the chance to do an in-depth interview about my 7th District youth-inspired legislation that will soon create the first statewide youth mental health policy council. See the link to the full interview below.

I also participated in a Chicago Tribune series profiling Illinois’s role in the Underground Railroad. It is compelling that so many brave individuals fled slavery and found freedom through Illinois. A branch of my own family on my mother’s side was living in Michigan as early as 1846 and likely participated in this history. See below for the full story.

Lastly, you’ll see a graphic below for our next traveling office hours event at Senn High School on Oct. 3. This time we will be curating the town hall for 7th District youth. Enjoy the newsletter and have a safe weekend!

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

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Senator Simmons Discusses Youth Mental Health on Outside the Loop Radio

Caption: Senator Simmons interviewed by Outside the Loop Radio discussing youth mental health.

I recently spoke with Outside the Loop Radio to discuss youth mental health in Illinois and Senate Bill 4028 .

The legislation requires schools to teach students how and where to access mental health resources and establishes a statewide Student Mental Health Council including youth ages 14–25 from diverse backgrounds.

Listen to the full interview (segment begins at 16:05)

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Underground Railroad in Illinois
Chicago Tribune feature by Darcel Rockett

Caption: Underground Railroad historic sites across Illinois (Chicago Tribune / Terrence Antonio James).

Excerpt from the Chicago Tribune feature highlighting Senator Mike Simmons’ reflections on Illinois’ Underground Railroad history.

Recognition of Illinois’ role in the Underground Railroad is long overdue. It is a deep honor to contribute to this work highlighting the untold stories of Black communities and freedom seekers.

Read the full article: Chicago Tribune Underground Railroad feature

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Calling All Youth: Traveling Office Hours at Senn High School

Join me on Tuesday, October 3 from 4–5 PM at Senn High School for Traveling Office Hours focused on youth voices across the 7th District.

We want to hear from students of all ages about their concerns and ideas for the future of Illinois.

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Thank you for reading. If you would like to reach our office, please call 773-769-1717 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Simmons celebrates historic reform in Illinois to end cash bail

CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons commends Illinois’ action to implement the Pretrial Fairness Act, making Illinois the first state to eliminate cash bail.

“Advocating for the rights of those who are incarcerated and their families is a priority of mine. As the first state in the country to completely end the use of money bail, we have taken a historic step toward a more fair and just system,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Far too many people have been blatantly discriminated against due to the inability to cover their bond amount for release. Being poor is not a crime and should never be the sole reason a person remains incarcerated as they await their trial.”

The official end of cash bail — also known as the Pretrial Fairness Act, which is contained within the SAFE-T Act — comes two months after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that pretrial reform is constitutional in Illinois. The cash bail system has now been replaced with a new system that detains all dangerous defendants, regardless of their wealth.

“Simply put: the SAFE-T Act makes communities safer by allowing courts to hold violent offenders who would ordinarily be able to use cash to pay for release,” said Simmons. “I fully support the overall policy goals of the SAFE-T Act, as well as effective implementation. This is historic legislation that corrects injustices that for too long have plagued our criminal justice systems.”

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Simmons announces over $1.3 million in grants awarded to 7th District small businesses

CHICAGO – With support from State Senator Mike Simmons, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity recently announced that over $1.3 million in small business grants would be awarded to 33 restaurants throughout the 7th District.

“Our small businesses are still recovering from the aftermath of the pandemic. They are the backbone of our district and often a hub for cultural identity, and this DCEO Back to Business Grant is crucial to their preservation and survival,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Without the support of this program and others like it, we are in danger of losing our history, traditions, and livelihoods. I am committed to fighting for more funding to secure the future of our small business community.”

The Back to Business grant program provides recovery grants for small businesses throughout the state, with an emphasis on businesses in the hardest hit industries. Through the Back to Business and Business Interruption Grant programs, DCEO has provided more than $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses state-wide since the start of the pandemic.

Thirty-three area restaurants in Simmons’ district will receive a combined total of $1,320,000 through this round of Back to Business grants.

“It is not a surprise that more than half of restaurant Back to Business grant recipients in the 7th District are owners and operators who have been historically disenfranchised,” said Simmons. “We must continue to aggressively advocate for every small business in distress, in every sector. I know we can do it, and look forward to the good work ahead.”

For more information about B2B grants visit DCEO’s website.