Senator Simmons passes 9 bills out of the Senate, attends White House convening, and Back to Business Grants re-opened April 5

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this newsletter finds you well! I am proud to share that I have passed 9 bills out of the State Senate - bills that came directly from the advocacy and lived experiences of constituents like you. The bills cover a broad scope of issue areas including providing new protections for residents of affordable housing, new insurance benefits for preventative health screening for liver disease, new requirements for bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure improvements on state routes, and a one year pause on court-assessed fees, fines, and taxes for returning citizens. For full details on each of my 9 bills, please see Legislative Updates below. 

In addition to moving these bills, I toured a CTA bus garage on Chicago’s west side to see for myself the current storage and electric charging facilities used for buses. I have brought forth legislation, SB1864, that would accelerate the timeline for CTA and other Illinois transit agencies to bring online a fully electric bus fleet so we reduce harmful emissions and make our transit systems more sustainable. 

I also witnessed the signing of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act into law, joined a virtual White House Convening on Child Care Access and Affordability, actively participated in several legislative committee meetings, hosted refugee youth in the REACH program at our district office, honored International Trans Day of Visibility, and held a monthly virtual townhall this week. 

I also want to take a moment to lift up a key resource for our district. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is now accepting applications for the Back to Business Grant. If you own a small business and have not received any pandemic-related funding previously, be sure to see if your small business is eligible and apply!

Stay tuned for more updates, and you can always follow along and track my bills (and other bills I’ve co-sponsored), at ILGA.gov.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

Legislative Updates

Read more …

Simmons passes initiative to prioritize driver, pedestrian safety

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure local governments do not compromise driver or pedestrian safety in order to accommodate large trucks on non-designated highways, State Senator Mike Simmons passed a measure out of the Senate on Friday.

“Construction on highways can be time consuming, dangerous and can significantly impact traffic flow,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This legislation will allow local governments to avoid such a big undertaking by not requiring them to change their non-designated highways to accommodate larger trucks and vehicles.”

Senate Bill 2278 provides that an agency or local government will not be required to design, construct, widen or alter a non-designated highway to accommodate trucks between 55 and 65 feet in length. Additionally, a local government will be required to report to the Illinois Department of Transportation any limitations that prohibit the operation of vehicles on non-designated highways and any non-designated highway that is not designed or constructed after Jan. 1, 2023 to accommodate trucks between 55 and 65 feet in length.

“Widening intersections to accommodate these larger trucks takes away space that can be used for bike lanes, pedestrian walkways and green space,” Simmons said. “This is an unnecessary undertaking for what is, on many roads, only an occasional need.”

Senate Bill 2278 now heads to the House for consideration.

Simmons passes measure for cooperative housing development

SPRINGFIELD – To encourage cooperative housing developments, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced a measure out of the Senate on Thursday.

“Many communities across Illinois are experiencing a severe shortage of affordable housing,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Cooperative housing models help to fill that gap by providing lower-income individuals access to long-term permanent housing.”

Senate Bill 1484 creates the Cooperative Housing Fund, which would be used by the Illinois Housing Development Authority to award up to $5 million in grants to organizations developing cooperative housing for residents with an income less than or equal to the median income within the municipality.

This measure will promote cooperative housing, a form of housing where entities own the residential building, but its residents are shareholders of the entity. Cooperative housing provides a viable alternative to homeownership for low- to middle-income earners who may not be able to buy a home, while adding a key affordable housing option to those who need it.

“Creating a Cooperative Housing Fund is the first step to ensuring everyone has access to affordable housing,” Simmons said. “Shelter is not only a basic need, but living in a good home should be a right to which no one is denied.”

Senate Bill 1484 passed the Senate and now heads to the House for consideration.

Simmons advances bipartisan measure to automatically renew Ride Free and Discounted cards for riders living with disabilities and seniors

SPRINGFIELD – To make it easier for people with disabilities and senior citizens to keep their free and reduced fare public transportation benefits, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced a measure out of the Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 1892 provides that Regional Transportation Authority benefits for people with disabilities and senior citizens will, after an initial eligibility determination is made for a Ride Free card, automatically renew every five years after receiving a copy of the individual's government ID to verify their Illinois residency. The bill eliminates the need for a customer to recertify their income or disability status. 

“Working with my own constituents living with disabilities, we were able to come up with this legislation which will remove unnecessary steps for the disabled who rely on public transit,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “People in the 7^th District, especially those living with disabilities and our seniors, rely on our public transportation. This bill will help them maintain their access to CTA, Metra and Pace services so they no longer need to worry about navigating confusing agency renewal policies.”

Currently RTA’s Ride Free and Reduced Fare cards for CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains are valid for up to two years. However, this bill will automatically renew cards for those who may not be able to travel to a physical location to renew or who do not have the means or access to the internet to renew online.

“I want to thank my constituents and the RTA for their hard work on this important legislation,” Simmons said. “This bill will ensure public transit services are more accessible and can be provided without restriction and unnecessary back and forth.”

Senate Bill 1892 passed the Senate on Thursday and now heads to the House for consideration.