General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons
Dear Neighbor,
The Spring 2025 legislative session is moving full steam ahead, and I am deep into the process of fighting to pass over 30 pieces of legislation I brought forward this year.
In this newsletter, I am pleased to share the date of my second Health Care Town Hall, progress we have made in discussions regarding the Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) $770M budget shortfall, recaps of district events, vital resources, upcoming events I hope you can attend, and developments with my own legislation on human rights, housing, water quality, transportation, and more.
In Springfield, I am spending most of my time meeting with stakeholders and constituents, amending and advocating for the dozens of bills I filed, and attending Committees to advance my legislation and help advance those bills important to our district this session. Three of my own bills have already passed out of Committee with more to follow soon!
In the district, I hosted the first Health Care Town Hall of the year in Uptown at Wilson Abbey, and it was a great success! Thank you to all the neighbors who came out and participated in an engaging discussion about medical aid in dying, universal health care, and more. I hope to see many more constituents at our future town halls! I also attended and actively participated in a Senate Transportation Hearing in downtown Chicago where we discussed legislation that would address the $770M RTA budget shortfall. You can find my full recap of the hearing further down this newsletter.
Finally, save the date and RSVP for my second Health Care Town Hall! Given the importance of health care in our daily lives and the current state of the Federal government, I will be hosting many Health Care Town Halls across the district this year to give every neighbor the opportunity to come out, communicate directly with me, share their and their family’s experiences with the health care system, learn about the state of health care in Illinois, and receive 1:1 assistance with my team. My team and I understand how troublesome obtaining health insurance can be, and my District Office staff is ready to help anyone determine the best health insurance option available to you either through Medicaid, Medicare, the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace, or other options.
RSVP for my Health Care Town Hall #2 here!
Sincerely,
Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District
Senator Simmons Legislative Updates
The Safe Public Drinking Water Act and Senate Bill 899 from the 103rd Session are now LAW!
Two of my bills were signed into law last Friday after two years of hard-fought advocacy and collaboration! The Safe Public Drinking Water Act (Senate Bill 727 from the 103rd Session) puts us on a path to establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS substances (known as “forever chemicals”) and other toxic chemicals in our 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. Senate Bill 899 immediately allows for several road safety projects to move forward by clarifying jurisdiction between CDOT and IDOT at specific intersections. These infrastructure projects will enhance safety for cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, and people living with disabilities, ultimately saving many lives. Thank you Governor Pritzker for signing these two key bills into law!
Three Bills Pass Committee, Heading to the Senate Floor
I'm excited to share 3 of my bills passed through Committee!
- SB1262 would ensure immigrants and refugees across our district and state can access State services by requiring that all State websites are translated into 25 additional languages.
- SB2111 would legalize Idaho stops, allowing cyclists to pass through intersections in the safest way possible.
- SB1173 would eliminate a systemic barrier to housing by ensuring folks without housing are able to freely obtain a State ID, which is crucial for job applications, accessing programs, and obtaining resources that help them get back on their feet.
All three bills are headed to the Senate floor next week for further consideration!
Chicago Senate Transportation Hearing Recap
Caption: Senator Simmons asks questions about badly needed reforms conjured in Senate Bills 5 and 1938 on the Senate Transportation Committee alongside Chairman Ram Villivalam.
I recently participated in a Senate Transportation Hearing in downtown Chicago as we forge a path forward for our public transit systems including the Regional Transit Authority (CTA, Metra, and Pace) as they face a $770M fiscal cliff next year. Please watch a clip from the hearing linked here.
Improving safety on-board, increasing the frequency and reliability of buses and trains, train service and bus route enhancements, eliminating ghost buses, implementing fare equity, creating more humane conditions for our bus and train operators, and establishing game-changing reforms like bus rapid transit on key corridors are some of the cornerstones I am anxious to see in any public transit legislation we take up this Spring. I have also consistently and clearly advocated for these reforms for months in Senate Transportation Committee hearings all across the Chicago metropolitan area. Moreover, our transit systems are some of the most underfunded in the country and that needs to change.
At the hearing, we heard from RTA union leaders about a proposal Senate Bill 1938 that includes a Transit Ambassador program to improve the rider experience, fare-capping, reduced fares for low-income riders, and an expansion of Metra safety officers to CTA and Pace stations and vehicles, among a number of measures to improve the rider experience through system integration.
We also heard from CMAP and other transit stakeholders about Senate Bill 5 which would consolidate all the transit systems under one central Metropolitan Mobility Authority and integrate existing systems into one for more efficient travel for riders, while giving the authority the power to plan and operate an integrated fare system, centralize planning, implement fare capping, and other governance reforms. I am proud to be a Chief Co-Sponsor of Senate Bill 5.
I see this fiscal cliff as a unique (and once in a generation) opportunity to up our transit game with long overdue reforms in a way that makes our public transit system the world-class system we all want to see and that Chicagoans and residents across the metropolitan region need and deserve. The time for reform is right now. As a lifelong user of Chicago public transit, I care deeply about our public transit system (and all public transit systems across the region and state) and will do everything in my power to ensure we protect and expand what at its core is a good system.
I will be hosting a Transportation Town Hall at the Broadway Armory in Edgewater on Thursday, April 24, from 6 - 7:30pm to bring the community together to talk about this important issue. Please keep an eye on your inbox and on my social media for more information coming soon.
A second Senate Transportation Committee hearing is being planned for Chicago to hear testimony from stakeholders and community members on Senate Bill 5, Senate Bill 1938, and the transit fiscal cliff. Please watch my upcoming e-blasts and social media for details once the date is finalized and virtual link made available.
Metra Headquarters Visit
Caption: Senator Simmons alongside Metra engineers and fellow State Senators on the Senate Transportation Committee, visiting Metra’s headquarters.
I visited Metra’s headquarters earlier this month to meet their hardworking and skilled teams, see first-hand how passenger trains are maintained, refurbished, and rebuilt in-house to save costs and keep jobs local, as well as review the very real upcoming fiscal challenges all transit agencies face. Metra has the unique challenge of coordinating their schedules daily, alongside freight and private lines.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate Transportation Committee and all transit agencies to continue to provide passengers with the best experience possible, support their workforce with competitive wages and growth, quickly bring online more electrified fleets, and provide not just reliable but AWESOME service for the next generation!
Battle of Adwa Day Floor Speech
Caption: Senator Simmons addresses the Senate on the Senate floor on Thursday, March 6th, 2025.
To celebrate March 2nd as Adwa Victory Day, I spoke earlier this month on the Senate Floor about the history of the Battle of Adwa and its significance to Ethiopians, Eritreans, and the entire African diaspora. A full video of my speech is linked here, I hope you enjoy it. I also hope you find inspiration from my words as I was honored to share my heritage and the significance of this day with the State of Illinois through official remarks on the Illinois Senate floor!
Senator Simmons in the News
- Pritzker announces Medical debt erased for 170,000 additional Illinois residents by Chicago Crusader
- Simmons pushes for language translations on state websites by Illinois Senate Democrats
- Simmons Bill Allows for Safer Movement for Cyclists in Illinois by Illinois Senate Democrats
- Illinois Democrats condemn party members reversing on transgender support by Windy City Times
- Housing costs in Illinois are rising. Lawmakers are considering several bills that could help by IPM News
- Illinois bill improving drinking water quality signed into law by WAND News
Senator Simmons District Updates and Upcoming Events
SHARE YOUR VOICE: Town Hall on the State of Trans Rights in Illinois on Monday, March 31st
This upcoming Monday, March 31st, Chicago Therapy Collective will be hosting a Trans Day of Visibility Town Hall from 5:00 - 6:30pm in Bramble Arts Loft in Andersonville (5545 N Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640). Myself, fellow elected officials, and prominent LGTBQ+ activists will be sharing actions we are taking in the fight for LGTBTQ+ rights. We will also be answering questions from the public. I hope you can join me for the town hall that will also include a resource fair and dance party. The event is free and open to the public, and you can register online linked here.
Recap of Senator Simmons Health Care Town Hall in Uptown
Caption: Senator Simmons speaks to constituents at the first Health Care Town Hall.
On Thursday, March 13th, I hosted our first Health Care Town Hall of the year at Wilson Abbey in Uptown! It was an enlightening and engaging town hall as I took many questions from constituents and shared updates I had regarding health care legislation I am working on this session. We had compelling discussions on a number of questions from constituents, including proposed medical aid in dying legislation to universal health care. I look forward to meeting and hearing from more constituents in future Health Care Town Halls!
If you missed this town hall, don’t fret! Health Care Town Hall #2 is being held Monday, April 7th at 6pm in Lincoln Square/Budlong Woods. RSVP here!
SEWA Senior Care Opens in Edgewater!
Caption: Gabby and dozens of community members celebrating the Grand Opening of SEWA Senior Care Center.
Gabby, my Operations & Outreach Coordinator, attended Sewa Senior Care Center’s Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting earlier this month at 5359 North Broadway, Unit E, Chicago, IL 60640 in Edgewater. With over 2,000 Nepali constituents in my district, I am thrilled to have Sewa Senior Care Center as a new resource for seniors and anyone needing support applying for Medicare, Medicaid, and housing assistance. Congratulations to founder Rajan on a successful opening! Learn more about SEWA on their website linked here.
Rep. Hoan Huynh District Office Grand Opening
Caption: Heather and Gabby from my staff with Representative Huynh, his staff, and Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth.
Last Friday, my staff joined State Representative Hoan Huynh to celebrate the Grand Opening of his new District Office in Argyle at 5025 N. Broadway. It is such a nice, welcoming space and a great addition to Broadway! Congratulations on the new office, Representative Huynh!
Bryn Mawr Avenue Neighborhood Clean-Up
Please join your neighbors, together with the Edgewater Beach Neighborhood Association (EBNA), Edgewater Triangle Neighborhood Association (ETNA), the Bryn Mawr Alliance, and the Edgewater Environmental Coalition for the next Coffee Corners & Clean Up event!
On April 5th, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, visit one of the 8 “welcoming stations” at each cross street on Bryn Mawr Ave, from Sheridan to Clark. These will be the meet-up spots where you can pick up everything you need for a successful clean-up: trash pickers, yard bags, and biodegradable gloves. The Edgewater Environmental Coalition (EEC) will also provide trash buckets and reusable gloves. Plus, coffee will be donated by your favorite local cafe.
For more information, visit EBNA’s website linked here and ETNA on their Facebook page linked here.
Resources
Senator Simmons: Call for Volunteers!
Interested in getting involved with the local state government? Contact my district office by phone (773-769-1717), email (
REAL ID Supercenter Now Open in the Loop!
If you are having trouble securing a Real ID appointment, don’t worry! Instead, head down to the new REAL ID Supercenter at 191 N. Clark Street in the Loop. This center is walk-in only, so no appointment is necessary. It is open Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00 pm. If you are unsure if you need a REAL ID, visit the portal linked here to find out.
Summer Jobs with the IL Secretary of State
Equality Illinois LGBTQ+ Resource Guide
Know Your Rights/Conozca sus Derechos
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
