Following the sudden passing of State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign), Senator Simmons released the following statement:

"I am stunned and deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague, Senator Scott Bennett. In the short time that I served with him, I appreciated the humanity, class, and collegiality he brought to the Senate and to our state at a time when it is needed. 

 

I’ll never forget shortly after I had my first bill heard in committee, Senator Bennett surprised me by taking a newspaper clip of me presenting the bill in committee from his hometown newspaper and had it laminated for me to have as a keepsake. I have it displayed on the wall in my district office and will never forget his generosity and thoughtfulness the day he walked over to my desk and unceremoniously presented it to me as a freshman just a couple months into my tenure in the Senate. 

Recently, I had sat down with Senator Bennett at a caucus dinner and we chatted about many things including how to balance demands on elected officials so we can spend time with our families and I appreciated his advice from his experience. 

 

And just last week, during the veto session, I sat with him at his desk in the Senate chamber and thanked him for the hard work he put into the SAFE-T Act negotiations. I knew he genuinely cared about our state, and I will truly miss serving with him. 

 

My heart goes out to his family, his community, and to all those whose lives he touched. I will always remember Senator Bennett, his sense of humor, and his thoughtfulness. I will do my best to keep his memory alive in the Senate."