Simmons’ New Law Will Require Transportation Agencies to Report on National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations and Implementation

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons’ measure to make rail travel safer for residents in response to the 2023 Chicago Transit Authority Yellow Line crash in his district was signed into law on Monday.

“This legislation is in direct response to the horrific CTA Yellow Line collision last fall,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “So many people rely on public transportation, and as a lifelong user of Chicago public transit, I know how important it is to make sure our transit systems are held accountable to provide the most safe riding conditions possible. This law will prevent tragedies from happening through accountability required of our transit organizations.”

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Simmons Announces Funding for 7th District Mental Health Clinic

CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons announced Trilogy Inc. has been selected to participate in a federal program designed to expand and improve access to coordinated mental health care and substance use treatment.

“Mental health care is a basic human right. Everyone should be able to access necessary treatment regardless of their level of health insurance, where they live, their race, gender, sexual orientation, primary language or any other factor,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “The accessibility and availability of mental health support is paramount to our society, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this program expand access to mental and behavioral health care right here in the 7th District.”

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Simmons hosts Pride Month press conference, gives LGBTQ+ youth the mic to discuss their lives and their future in a time of unprecedented, repressive, and hateful legislation across the country

CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Illinois State Senate, was joined by LGBTQ+ youth, community leaders, small business owners, activists and allies at a Pride Month press conference Tuesday.

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Simmons Announces $2.5 Million Awarded to 225 Small Businesses in 7th District!

Dear Neighbor,

Six months ago, I stood in a restaurant in Edgewater on Broadway and alongside small businesses, community partners and press in attendance, announced that I’d secured $2.5 million specifically for mom and pop small businesses in our far northside district. I had grown weary of hearing from too many small business owners across our district who feel the squeeze of sudden rent increases and gentrification on their storefronts, lack of translation services for immigrant-owned shops, difficulty with payroll, and other systemic challenges. We created the 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant from scratch with these funds to fill in these major gaps.

I have an update to share about the 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant. The grant process has now been completed and 225 small businesses across our district have received their grants! From Rogers Park to Buena Park to Lincoln Square to Uptown to Budlong Woods to Andersonville to Ravenswood to Edgewater, brick and mortar small businesses from every corner of the 7th District and in every single commercial corridor have received grants. Full details on the grant program are below. I could not be more proud of the 7SBRG and the timely and positive boost and encouragement it has given our local mom and pop shops and storefronts.

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons, along with dozens of 7th District small business owners, chambers and community leaders gathered in Edgewater in December to announce the launch of the 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant.

Thank you to the five local chambers and our community organizations who worked with me and my team to pull off this unprecedented and innovative program, and to our indispensable partners who provided translation services in more than a dozen languages. I’m inspired by what we were able to accomplish here. I also want to thank my Chief of Staff, Heather Saenger, who worked tirelessly to help make this happen and has a heart for our small businesses and especially those that have been left out of previous assistance efforts. Last but not least, thank you to the staff at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for working with us to execute a vision that at first seemed daunting.

We did it!

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

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