General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

          I hope this letter finds you well! I have a newsletter for you packed with legislative updates from my past week in Springfield, reflections on recent events, and a recap from yesterday's town hall.

          The biggest news I am proud to share is that House Bill 3564, my bill to limit rental junk fees, has passed the Senate and House with a 39-16 and 56-36 vote, respectively. Once signed by the Governor and made law, this legislation will provide greater price transparency on leases and more stability for Illinois’ rental market. Read more about this progressive piece of legislation below.

          I also want to take a moment to remember A.J. Barks and Matt Siemer, a married couple who sadly passed away a few months ago. A.J. and Matt were superheroes for our community, and their selfless dedication to others must be remembered and honored. I know I will continue to hold them in my heart as I push for healthcare access for all and eventual Medicare for All.

          A.J. was Co-Executive Director of Chicago’s Women’s Health Center, a nonprofit in Uptown that provides inclusive health care to women at little-to-no cost to the patient. Located at 1025 W. Sunnyside Ave Suite 201, A.J. and her team provide vital healthcare access on Chicago’s north side.

          Matt Siemer was Executive Director of Mobile Care Chicago, a nonprofit that runs a number of mobile medical units run out of transformed vans and buses. They have a fleet of vans for asthma testing, dental check-ups, vaccinations, and more. All of their services are free of charge, and we have hosted their services before at our 2025 Back to School Bash at Broadway Armory where their asthma van provided free screenings for students.

          A memorial service was held for A.J. and Matt last Friday at the Mobile Care Chicago dispatch site on the West side. My team shared a few remarks about our memories of working with Matt and A.J. My team and I are devastated by their loss, and we will keep them in our hearts forever. You can read more about Matt and A.J. story  in the Sun-Times linked here. Pictured below is Team Simmons’ first time visiting Chicago Women’s Health Center and Mobile Care Chicago’s asthma van in 2024. I send my condolences to Matt and A.J.’s family, their two dogs, and the two amazing organizations they led.

          Lastly, thank you to everyone who joined me at my monthly Town Hall yesterday at Welles Park. We discussed all of the legislation I am trying to advance this session—from the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (SB3762) to Ending Credit Score Requirements for Voucher Renters (SB3475/HB5394). Furthermore, constituents in attendance asked about what steps we can take to address inequities in maternal health and how difficult it can be to find housing for folks who have not lived fully independently before. These discussions could lead to legislation in the future! You can read a full update on my legislation with the Town Hall handout linked here!

          If you missed the Town Hall, don’t worry - you can view a recording here.

          Enjoy the warm weather, and have a great weekend!

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

          I hope this letter finds you well! It has been a very intense past few weeks, to say the least. I want to first express my deep condolences to the family, friends, and community of Sheridan Gorman, a young Loyola student whom we lost to senseless gun violence last week. Just this past January, I met with the student group, Loyola Stands Against Gun Violence, where I underscored my history and commitment to fighting for sensible gun legislation and increased funding for violence prevention in our communities. But when we are faced with yet another senseless, deadly act of gun violence in the heart of our community, it is a somber reminder of the hard work that is yet to be done. I If you or a loved one need help finding support as we grieve the death of Sheridan Gorman, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.

          This past week I was back in Springfield with renewed energy and determination. Highlights include meeting with dozens of constituents and advocacy groups, and hosting a press conference with the AIDS Foundation to fight for an FY27 budget that includes funding for HIV prevention and treatment, and helps us get to zero new HIV/AIDS diagnoses by 2030.

          I also brought forth two bills in committee, Senate Bill 3478 and Senate Bill 3472 which would create a city-wide bike grid network, and fix a technical loop-hole in how we fund behavioral health care in Illinois, respectively. All of this legislative action is deeply supported and informed by subject matter experts who are also constituents, and I am grateful to be carrying this legislation together. On the Senate floor, I was also able to commemorate the 130th Anniversary of the Battle of Adwa of 1896 in which Ethiopia decisively beat back an invading colonial army from Italy. Watch my full floor speech linked here!

Caption: Senator Simmons meets with Alzheimer’s Association advocates in Springfield this week to bring awareness to the End Alzheimer’s initiative.

          While in Springfield, my district staff has been responding to constituent casework and needs, attending community celebrations and outreach events, and providing ongoing mutual aid through our district office. As we are deep into the legislative session, we continue to receive hundreds of emails, phone calls, and letters from constituents advocating for what is most important to you. So, I am excited to share that going forward, in each of my newsletters there will be a section dedicated to the top 3 issues folks write/call in to my office about.

          Lastly, a huge congratulations to Timeline Theatre on their grand opening of their 5035 N. Broadway, Uptown location. Their new, forever home is an anchor in the community and a commitment to preserving and telling stories. Productions start soon and I encourage you to check out all they have to offer! I am so proud to have fought for and secured $500,000 in state capital funds to assist Timeline and help anchor Uptown with a new cultural institution!

          Lastly, this coming Monday, March 30 Chicago Therapy Collective is hosting an LGBTQ+ Virtual Town Hall focused on LGBTQ+ mental health policy and legislation impacting communities across Illinois. I look forward to participating and encourage you to learn more here.

          More soon, and thank you to everyone who has contacted or stopped by the office to say hello, drop off mutual aid donations, share an idea, or ask for help! As always, you can reach us at 773-769-1717 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

          I hope you had a great week so far! I have been back down in Springfield where I am focused on getting bills passed out of committee. It is an energetic time of year! I am particularly proud to share that on Tuesday I passed Senate Bill 3361 out of committee, an extension of the Jett Hawkins Act which I passed into law in January 2022. As a refresher, the Jett Hawkins Act bans school boards, local school councils, charter schools and nonprivate schools from creating hairstyle-based dress code requirements and discriminating against hairstyles historically associated with race or ethnicity. This bill is named for Jett Hawkins, who at just 4 years old, was discriminated against for wearing his hair in a style that is traditionally non-white.

          Senate Bill 3361 bill was brought forth and developed in partnership with a constituent, Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, and would require private, nonreligious schools to affirm they will not prohibit religious hairstyles or hair-related religious practices, including facial hair worn pursuant to a student’s or employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, in order to register with the Illinois State Board of Education. It protects against restricting hairstyles due to religious expression, including hairstyles and facial hair in public schools specific to Jewish faith and tradition, specifically the Orthodox tradition, as a condition of registration or recognition with ISBE or the State. The bill is also broad enough to cover hair styles and hair-related practices of other religious groups. Students and faculty should be able to express themselves as they see fit in all spaces, and I am proud to champion this legislation!

          I also held a press conference on Wednesday with Leader Hunter and Senator Collins to champion the need to protect SNAP recipients from fraud - specifically card skimming. If you have a credit or debit card, chances are that card has a chip on it. However, folks on SNAP experience stolen funds too often because their cards are not “chip” enabled. The contract to update SNAP cards is coming up in June, and it is time to save our recipients from tens of millions of dollars in fraud and most importantly, make sure they have access to food!

          I have also filed legislation, Senate Bill 3480, the Payday Advance Consumer Protection Act to protect consumers who access wages through Payday Advance Services (often renamed as Earned Wage Access). This bill would not eliminate Payday Advance Services, but would require state level regulation through IDFPR.

          As always, thank you to the many advocates and constituents who come to Springfield to share with me priorities and ideas. It is a joy to meet with you in the people’s house. A shout out this week to The Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities!

Caption: Senator Simmons in the Capitol with an advocate from The Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities

          In addition to everything happening in Springfield, we have been busy responding to constituent letters, helping folks with Medicaid, connecting folks with social services and housing, attending Black History Month events and 49th Ward “Happy Birthday Chicago” Town Hall.

          While I will be back in Springfield next week, I am really looking forward to warmer weather and can’t wait to be back in the district for spring. There are so many amazing events in the community this week, from Sarah’s Circle Winter Walk, the Edgewater Indoor Market, a CityKey Card event and more - be sure to scroll all the way down and check them out.

          As always, my team and I are ready to help with your needs - if you or a neighbor need access to food, healthcare, housing - just reach out at 773-769-1717 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

          Happy February, neighbors! This past week I have been in Springfield - Governor Pritzker gave his annual State of the State and Budget Address, $1.1 billion in medical debt relief was announced, and I met with many stakeholders and advocacy groups about spring bills.

I held a press conference on Thursday in Springfield to share the good news regarding medical debt relief! With Tuesday’s latest round of relief, the total number of households that have seen their medical debt erased was brought to over 500,000 households with over $1.1 billion of medical debt that has been erased. I am beyond proud to have led the legislation in the Senate in 2024 and to have worked with Governor Pritzker to make this initiative a reality, and I will continue to push for further erasure of medical debt for Illinois households facing medical debt that amounts to 5% of their household income. You can learn more about the initiative via my press conference from yesterday linked here.

          In case you missed it, I held an ICE, SNAP, and Policy Town Hall last week at Clarendon Park in Uptown. You can watch a full recording of the town hall linked here, and review a handout from the event linked here that contains pages of pertinent information about SNAP and my 50+ filed bills for this spring session, in particular. Thank you to everyone who came out and asked some great questions regarding potential prosecution of ICE agents and more.

          Below you will also find recaps from attending the Equality Illinois Gala, a visit with Loyola University Chicago students who are a part of Loyola Stands Against Gun Violence, and one of my favorite activities of the year - passing out Valentine’s to seniors across the 7th District.

          I will be back down in Springfield again next week, and look forward to continuing to get our bills into committees. But before I go back to Springfield, I am looking forward to celebrating Lunar New Year in Uptown and hope to see you at the parade and festivities tomorrow!

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District