Newsletters

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful July outside in between chaotic downpours and wildfire smoke! I have a lot to share with you, covering updates and events.

          First, I want to invite you to our annual Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, August 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Willye B White Park in Rogers Park (1610 W. Howard St.)! We are hosting the bash in partnership with Alderwoman Maria Hadden, State Representative Kelly Cassidy, and C24/7 Father’s Arms Ministries. We have over 750 FREE backpacks to give away, as well as free food, free school supplies, music, splash activities, inflatables, and games for all ages to enjoy! I hope to see you there on Saturday, August 8!

          In terms of legislation, I am proud to report that my bill to ban 11 different types of rental junk fees, cap application fees to $50, and provide fee transparency is officially set to become law on January 1, 2027! Please read further down this newsletter for more information on what to expect when House Bill 3564 takes effect on January 1st.

          I also wanted to provide an update on Illinois’ assault weapons ban. The ban has been making headlines as federal courts have been considering the legality of the ban. Most recently, the ban was upheld by a federal appeals court in July. However, there is still a possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the ban with a decision expected in Summer 2027. I am a firm supporter of Illinois’ assault weapons ban, as I voted in support of the ban when it passed into law. I was proud to vote Yea for the legislation in 2023, and I will always vote for legislation that prevents violent crime in our community. I believe machine guns have no place in modern America, especially in our Chicago neighborhoods. I am preparing for the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning Illinois’ assault weapons ban with my fellow state legislators. If the Court overturns the ban, best believe that the Illinois state legislature will consider new and unique ways to curb the presence of assault weapons in our state.

Finally, do not forget about the resources and organizations available to counter ICE operations in Chicagoland. While DHS and ICE have scaled back its presence since Operation Midway Blitz, the rogue agencies are still taking people from our communities. If you want to assist neighbors facing threats from ICE, please consider working with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights, ONE Northside Rapid Response, or Protect Rogers Park. These are just a few of the amazing neighbor-led organizations doing boots-on-the-ground organizing to keep our neighbors safe from Federal oppression.

Take care folks and stay safe! I hope to see you at our Back-to-School Bash on August 8th!

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

          First, HAPPY PRIDE, EVERYONE! I was thrilled to kick off June by celebrating pride  in Niles this past weekend. This is their third Pride celebration, and there were lots of friends and familiar faces -  faith leaders, librarians, historians, immigrants, parents, young people, grandmothers. I look forward to many more celebrations this month!

Caption: Senator Simmons kicks off Pride Month last weekend with friends from across the north side!

          Next up - the Spring 2026 legislative session has finished! We had a very productive session with progressive revenue and some legislative wins, and I have lots to share in this edition of the newsletter.

          We are taxing the mega-rich  with some major progressive wins included in the FY27 state budget! Hundreds of constituents wrote in to my office this year asking that we tax the mega-rich to make sure they pay their fair share for affordable housing, high-quality public education, accessible public transportation, safe multimodal infrastructure, expansive food access, expansive healthcare access, living wages for all, and so much more we are striving to achieve.

The progressive revenue wins we achieved this session include…

• Social Media Platform Fee: This fee will apply to social media platforms like Meta and X with more than 100,000 Illinois users. Companies are prohibited from passing this cost along to the consumer or reducing access to features to Illinois users.
• Digital Asset Excise: This measure adds a 0.2% fee on digital asset transactions – such as cryptocurrency transactions – if the customer is in Illinois starting January 1st, 2027.
• Targeted Digital Advertising Tax: A long priority of progressive revenue advocates, the digital ad tax could soon be implemented in Illinois. It will create a 10% tax on providers of targeted digital advertising services on gross receipts exceeding $1 million during a 12-month period while exempting legitimate news media entities.
• Sports Wagering: A new progressive revenue tax on sports wagers placed on predictive market platforms is also moving forward.

          I see this as a solid beginning for enacting progressive revenue in Illinois. There is still so much more we need to do. I look forward to continuing the fight to tax the rich to provide education, transit, housing, fully-funded human services, and healthcare for all in Illinois.

          The budget also includes tax relief for working families, including a pause on the sales gas tax increase and a back-to-school sales tax holiday. Given the increased price of gasoline due to the war in Iran, my colleagues and I approved a 6-month delay for a scheduled gas tax increase that would have gone into effect on July 1st, 2026. Additionally, the legislature approved a back-to-school sales tax holiday that will take place from August 7th through August 16th, 2026. Make sure to get school supplies during this 10-day period with a much lower sales tax !

          On education, I am thrilled to share that evidence-based funding for K-12 schools received a $350 million increase from last year’s state budget. MAP funding for undergraduate financial aid also received maintained funding levels to continue an 80% increase for MAP funding since 2019. Education funding was one of the top priorities constituents and advocates spoke to me about during the final days of session, so an increase of $350 million for EBF and substantial MAP funding is great news .

          On housing, I wanted to touch on the BUILD Plan. I am a big proponent of the BUILD Plan and support each of its measures to increase housing supply in Illinois. No bills included in the BUILD Plan were passed this Spring, but discussions are continuing over the summer with stakeholders so we can figure out a path forward for all six bills. The legislature faced a lot of opposition from local municipalities, and discussions are ongoing regarding the future of the BUILD Plan. I remain a major proponent of the plan, and I will continue to use my role to push for the passage of all of its bills through the legislature.

          After a long weekend in Springfield, Michael and I visited the Obama Presidential Center and Library for the first time.

Caption: Senator Simmons and his partner Michael (seated) pose for a photo at the Obama Presidential Center in a reproduction of President Obama’s oval office.

          It was a profound honor to get a tour of the center and museum ahead of its opening on Juneteenth. It was an especially potent visit for me as I started off my career by interning for President Obama when he was a U.S. Senator, and I previously was Deputy Director of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance at the Obama Foundation. President Obama was and still is an important figure for his generation. He led a presidency that championed multi-culturalism and reflected Chicago values. As a son of immigrants like Obama himself, he continues to be a major inspiration for me as I serve as your State Senator. I recognize the privilege of my role as State Senator, and I look forward to continuing the work that needs to be done while carrying Obama’s legacy by championing multi-culturalism and a politics that brings people together!

          I have so much more to share about the legislative session, including key legislation and budget provisions we passed over the final long weekend. See below for a comprehensive breakdown of this session, and news on our Summer priorities. Thank you to everyone who continues to reach out to my office and engage in the democratic process! I’ll see you out in the district this Summer!

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

          Welcome to Newsletter Six of 2026. The Spring legislative session is swiftly moving along, and I have plenty of updates for you from Springfield and all across the 7th district.

          In Springfield I have been fighting hard for the 7th District in the final weeks of spring session. This looks like holding state agencies accountable during confirmation hearings to provide equitable healthcare across Illinois in the face of H.R.1, fighting for life-saving safety net hospital funding, advancing protections for LGBTQ+ Illinoisans - including Senate Bill 594 which will shield LGBTQ+ Illinoisans from dangerous pathologization and erroneous treatment, and Senate Bill 3481 which will protect medical information of transgender minors, as well as carrying House Bill 5486 which will establish an office of Genealogic Affairs to develop a plan to create a state-level framework to provide African-Americans in Illinois with genealogical information that historically may have been destroyed, uncompiled, or otherwise withheld. I am also advancing small business grant funding, and proudly chief co-sponsoring House Bill 4394, which will safeguard the rights of sexual assault survivors, as well as co-sponsoring the Home for Good Act.

Caption: Senator Simmons presents small business legislation in committee that would create new relief grants for small businesses devastated by the ICE raids during Operation Midway Blitz

          These are just a handful of key bills I am working to pass; if you want to see everything please take a look at ilga.gov. Also, below are more specific details on the legislation I am moving toward becoming law, highlights from meetings I had recently with constituents and wonderful advocacy groups who are fighting the good fight, important resources, and upcoming community events. I want to take a special moment to shout out all the students from the 7th District who came to visit these past couple weeks! Our young people ask the best questions!

Caption: Senator Simmons welcomes students from Chicago Montessori to his Springfield office this week.

          Also - a happy belated May Day to all who advocate for workers’ rights! On May 1st, I joined activists in solidarity for greater investment in education, including SEIU Local 73’s organized faculty strike at Loyola Chicago to demand higher wages and job security and McCutcheon elementary school students as they rallied for a gymnasium! I believe that higher wages for non-tenured Loyola Chicago staff and a gym for students at McCutcheon are very reasonable demands, and I was proud to rally with educators and students across our district on May Day.

Caption: Senator Simmons pickets with SEIU Local 73 on May Day for higher wages and job security for Loyola faculty and staff.

          I must also take a moment for the late Officer John Bartholomew, one of two Chicago police officers who was shot at Swedish Hospital on Saturday, April 25th. While I was in Springfield, a visitation and funeral were held for Officer Batholomew this past week in the heart of our district at St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church in Edgewater. Heather and Connor from my staff attended last Friday’s funeral to pay our respects.

Caption: Honoring Officer Bartholomew at St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church in Edgewater.

          Let us continue to hope for a full recovery for Officer Bartholomew’s partner, Officer Nelson Crespo, who was critically wounded at the scene and remains in care. My deepest sympathies go to the families of Officers Bartholomew and Crespo, their fellow officers, and to all of the Endeavor Swedish staff, patients, providers, and administrators who had to endure that horrific day. I am committed to passing legislation that improves community safety, and I will be critically reviewing current processes and future legislation to prevent incidents that endanger officers and the public alike.

          Finally, to all our students finishing their school year and to our graduates, I am so proud of you and you are an inspiration! I cannot wait to come back to the district for the summer and share everything with you all. I am really looking forward to hosting town halls and resource events, and attending block parties, Juneteenth, Pride, and a warm and sunny Chicago Summer!

With Gratitude,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

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