Dear Neighbor,
I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season and new year’s with family and friends. I started the year back in Springfield for the Lame Duck session running from January 2-7. The Lame Duck session is the final days of a General Assembly where legislators finish passing legislation before a reset of all legislation and those elected in November start their term on Inauguration Day.
I am thrilled to share that during Lame Duck, major pieces of legislation that I introduced and have been fighting for passed and will now be signed into law. The Safe Public Drinking Water Act (Senate Bill 727), as well as Senate Bill 899, a major traffic safety improvement bill both passed. Additionally, Karina’s Bill, of which I have been an outspoken advocate and co-Sponsor, has now passed the House and Senate. This bill empowers law enforcement to grant more protection to survivors of domestic violence and save lives.You can read about more details on these bills below. Additionally, the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act passed both chambers, a bill that I was proud to co-sponsor that will make it easier for children in foster care to live with their relatives or other people close to them. All of these new laws will make an immediate impact on the lives of folks living in the 7th District and throughout Illinois. To everyone who tirelessly advocated, wrote letters, attended rallies, did research, and shared your stories - thank you. We did it together and I am honored to have passed laws that come directly from our community.
Finally, on Wednesday, January 8, I was inaugurated into my third term as your 7th District Illinois State Senator. It is a towering honor to be given the opportunity to continue to serve you, and I am already hard at work for the upcoming four year term.
Sincerely,
Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District
Simmons Sworn in to Third Term as Illinois State Senator at 104th General Assembly Inauguration
Caption: Senator Simmons is sworn in to his third term and the 104th General Assembly on January 7, 2025 in the Senate Chamber in Springfield.
Caption: Senator Simmons and his partner, Michael, behind the Senator’s desk in the Senate Chamber in Springfield.
Caption: Senator Simmons at Inauguration with family members at the State Capitol.
This past Tuesday, I had the incredible honor of being sworn into my third term as Illinois State Senator of the 7th District at the Capitol in Springfield. I took the oath while holding a photo of my late mom, Ramona, who was there in spirit and who continues to shape so much of who I am. I was immensely proud to have my partner, Michael, by my side as I was sworn in, along with my step-mother Almaz and brother Sammy. My district and Springfield staff attended as well, and it was a day filled with pride and gratitude. It is a huge honor and blessing to get to represent the district where I grew up and so many of my friends and family call home.
As I begin my brand new term, I can assure you that my staff and I will continue to put the people we serve at the center of our legislative work and strive to make sure that each generation and every person – whether it be single moms, longtime residents, youth, LGBTQ+ people, returning citizens, people living with disabilities, survivors of gun violence, or seniors – knows they are seen and heard in our legislative work and constituent services.
Senator Simmons in the News
- State could adopt ‘kin-first’ approach to foster care by Capitol News Illinois
- New Illinois law hopes to help recruit more educators and childcare providers by WCIA
- Bill promoting recruitment for educators signed into law by The Southern Illinoisan
Senator Simmons Legislative Updates
Senator Simmons’ Safe Public Drinking Water Act PASSES the House and Senate
After a hard-fought 2 years of advocacy and collaboration with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (ILEPA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health, I am tremendously proud that the Safe Public Drinking Water Act has passed the Senate and House. It now awaits Governor Pritzker’s signature.
The Safe Public Drinking Water Act puts us on a path to establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS substances (known as “forever chemicals”) and other toxic chemicals in public drinking water supplies that are known to be hazardous to human health. By establishing MCLs for these substances, we are ensuring a standard for clean drinking water is set to protect public health.
Earlier last year, the U.S. EPA established MCLs on the five most common types of PFAS. The Safe Public Drinking Water Act bill codifies federal drinking water protections at the state-level to protect Illinois water supply should those protections ever be overturned by any federal administration. This legislation also grants the Illinois EPA the ability to research and set MCLs for additional PFAS substances and toxic compounds. As toxic compounds evolve and pose a threat to our water supply, the Safe Public Drinking Water Act ensures Illinois is taking the steps necessary to protect our water supply now and in the future.
Karina’s Bill PASSES, Implementing New Protections for Domestic Violence Survivors
Caption: Senator Simmons advocating for Karina’s Bill on the Senate floor back in November 2023.
Over the past two years, my team and I have received over 220+ emails from constituents sharing their support for Karina’s Bill. Focused on improving protections for survivors of domestic violence, the legislation requires guns to be removed from the home of an accused abuser when their FOID card has been revoked after the victim is granted an order of protection in a domestic violence case.
I am grateful to share that Karina’s Bill has now passed the House and Senate. I supported the bill as a co-sponsor and as a staunch advocate for survivors of domestic violence. The bill now awaits Governor Pritzker’s signature to be signed into law.
This bill will prevent further violence, save lives, and empower law enforcement to grant more protection to survivors of domestic violence. Thank you to the hundreds of constituents who have called and wrote to my office in support of Karina’s Bill. Access to guns is often the difference between life and death for survivors of domestic violence, and Karina’s Bill is a sensible solution that will save lives. You can read a full statement I released in support of Karina’s Bill in November 2023 linked here.
Senate Bill 899 PASSES, Moving Forward Road Safety Modifications For Pedestrians and Cyclists
Senate Bill 899 promotes seamless collaboration between the Illinois Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions in modifying roadways in Chicago and across the state to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and decrease motorists crashes. Senate Bill 899 builds on my previous bill – Senate Bill 2278, which became law January 1, 2024 and removed requirements that roadways accommodate large trucks. For my full statement on SB899 and information on specific existing road projects this bill will authorize including one in our district along the high crash corridor of Peterson Avenue between Ridge and Lincoln, click here. I care deeply about road safety for all users, and am proud to have pushed aggressively to pass this critical legislation. More than two dozen stalled pedestrian and cyclist safety road modifications will now advance just in Chicago alone!
Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act PASSES, Providing Foster Children Pathways to Living with Relatives
I am thrilled that the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act passed through the Senate during Lame Duck, and passed the House on January 6. The KIND Act will make it easier for children in foster care to live with their relatives or other people close to them. It is so important that we reckon with how unjust our systems have been to youth in foster care. The KIND Act is an excellent step forward in terms of respecting the integrity of the families these kids come from, including their immediate family but also their extended kin that love them. The KIND Act is now headed to the Governor for signature.
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! If you ever want to reach out to our office, please call us at 773-769-1717, and we will respond promptly. We can also be reached at
