For this week's newsletter I wanted to share with you a recap of my office's legislative councils initiative, which launched last week, a reminder of tomorrow's town hall I'm hosting with Rep. Greg Harris and a legislative update. Keep reading for more information.

Single Mom's Legislative People's Council

Last week, I kicked off the first of several People's Legislative Councils. The goal of this initiative is to ensure the voices of 7th District residents are at the center of formulating the robust legislative agenda that I will introduce and carry in the Senate when we reconvene for the spring session next January. The goal is twofold: to build out policy and to provide excellent constituent services. We want everyone to feel seen, heard and served when they interact with me, our district office and staff.

The inaugural council featured single moms.

The moms spoke about the systemic barriers they navigate in accessing housing, being actively involved with their children’s educations, and accessing responsive wraparound social services, among other topics. We talked about what government looks like in the context of their daily lives and how our office can make it better serve them.

I will be hosting several People's Councils over the next several months, featuring nine different groups. To read more about the people's councils, click here.

Town Hall with Rep. Greg Harris

Tomorrow evening at 6 p.m., I will be hosting a town hall with Rep. Greg Harris.

At the town hall, Rep. Harris and I will provide a legislative and budget update, as well as answer questions from residents and provide information about state services and resources. The town hall will take place at Clarendon Park and will be held outdoors, weather permitting.

If you'd like to join us, you can register here. I hope to see everyone there!

Energy Legislation Update

The Illinois General Assembly is expected to take up energy legislation soon. Environmental advocacy organizations, labor groups and other stakeholders have been in active negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement that would put Illinois on a path to clean energy.

In the next few weeks, we're expected to return to Springfield for a one-day session in order to vote on the legislation. I believe we need to advance a bill that sets an aggressive timeline to reduce our carbon footprint and transition our energy sector to renewables. The research is clear that we need to do this soon, so I have communicated with Democratic leadership in the Senate, my colleagues, and with stakeholders two key points:

I cannot support energy legislation that does not include aggressive climate change mitigation goals that are consistent with research. Climate change is an existential crisis that affects everyone living on our planet today, and it affects us all — no matter where we live. We are precariously close to the point of no return, and therefore efforts to help slow and even reverse the effects of climate change must be at the forefront of our priorities. I can't support a proposal that lacks a commitment to setting realistic climate change goals. We should be leaders in building the clean energy economy, reducing climate change and building a future with more living-wage green sector jobs.

I cannot support legislation that includes a rate hike on energy bills for the people I represent. Many low-income families in the 7th District are already paying a disproportionate amount of their monthly income for heat and electricity. I won’t support legislation that increases monthly energy bills for families in the district, especially while we are all trying to recover from the pandemic and the associated economic strain. Moreover, given the recent and systemic abuses of the public’s trust by major utilities in Illinois, I firmly believe giving them more money right now simply is not tenable.

Over the coming weeks, as negotiations continue, I will keep you all updated on the latest developments.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or need help in anyway, please reach out to my office at (773) 769-1717, and we'll be more than happy to help you.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District