General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

The Spring session is in full swing and it has been an action-packed few weeks! After three years of hard work, I am thrilled to share that a new child tax credit for Illinois was included in the Governor’s State of the State budget address last week! This was one of the very first bills I filed when I took office, and is a prime example of community-led legislation. A child tax credit can provide economic relief to millions of households, and the time is perfect for Illinois to become the 15th state in the nation to do so for struggling moms, dads, caretakers, and of course the children!

Also below is a recap from my visit to the White House earlier this month where I had a terrific dialogue with US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about safe, reliable, and sustainable transportation systems and several transit-forward bills I’ve been able to get enacted into law! I am a geek for transit and am excited to bring visibility to our recent transit wins and to build allies for the hard work that comes ahead.

Then you’ll see a recap from the February convening of our district office-led Single Moms People’s Legislative Council. The convening gave a boost to our collective work to get a robust child tax credit over the finish line as budget discussions unfold in the weeks ahead. It also is a poignant example of how 7th District constituents directly shape legislation.

Keep reading for a range of updates from recent weeks, including my response to Governor Pritkzer’s 2024 Budget Address last week. This newsletter also includes upcoming events, community resources, and recaps of the latest events I attended out in the district from completing our Valentine's Day Card drive to celebrating the Lunar New Year.

As the Spring legislative session ramps up, I am receiving hundreds of messages from constituents about bills to support or oppose. Thank you to everyone who has written in, called, or left a voicemail as I greatly value and take community input seriously. If there are bills you’d like me to support or oppose, please feel free to write to my office via the contact form linked here, or by emailing me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Lastly, be sure to stop by Jordan Elementary School tomorrow 2/29 from 3-5pm for their Black-Owned Business Fair at 7414 N. Wolcott in Rogers Park!

Enjoy the updates below!

Sincerely,
Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

A Letter from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

This spring the Illinois General Assembly can take a big step forward in reducing child poverty. Our state can become the fifteenth in the country to enact a permanent child tax credit, a bold and effective way to relieve working parents of the indignity and strain of choosing which bills to pay and which necessities to provide for their families. Doing so makes economic sense and could put nearly a million households on a path to a more dignified set of outcomes.

I grew up in a household in our far northside district where we struggled. I remember my mom up late at the kitchen table trying to pay bills while raising me and my sister, running her own salon in Rogers Park, while going to school for her Associate’s degree. That’s why three years ago when I became your state senator, one of the first bills I introduced called for a permanent and refundable child tax credit that could help struggling families like mine.

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

My team and I hit the ground running in January, and I am excited and invigorated for what 2024 has to hold! Before we move forward, I would like to take a moment to reflect on all the work we accomplished in 2023.

Keep reading for a high-level recap of everything my team and I accomplished in 2023, including passing 23 bills into law – 23 in ‘23!! – attending 300+ community events, and corresponding with hundreds of constituents regarding policy recommendations, state programs, meeting requests, and more. 2023 was the biggest year yet for my office in terms of numbers. We look forward to continuing our comprehensive public services in 2024. I have also included a list of laws I supported that took effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Please take a look.

In January, the General Assembly held its first week of the Spring Legislative Session in Springfield. As I return for a busy session schedule, I would like to share my top legislative priorities and what you can expect over the next few months.

Dear Neighbors,

The last couple of weeks have gone by fast. I’ve kept up the good fight to outlaw book banning in school curriculum. First, I went on CAN-TV last week and participated in an in-depth panel discussion on book banning with a writer-poet, several American Library Association staff and the Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library. You can watch the segment below.

Additionally, I attended a roundtable with the Illinois Library Association’s North Suburban and Chicago Libraries to discuss overall legislation important to libraries across Illinois. I was honored to join and represent our district, and share remarks about my efforts to outlaw curriculum book bans across Illinois along with my legislative anti-book banning work last spring. I also attended an elementary school this week where I discussed book banning with 5th graders! They gave me some new book titles to add to my queue this holiday break!

Lastly, I won an award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois yesterday for my legislative work in defending and protecting human and civil rights – specifically regarding my new law requiring child welfare agencies to use preferred pronouns of youth in their agencies.

I also organized and hosted a first of its kind job fair for returning residents at Truman College last week. It was a high point in my time in the Senate to see this come together so seamlessly thanks to the hard work of my district office staff. Check out the photos and recap of this awesome and inspiring district event below. We will be offering ongoing support for returning residents and those who are looking for jobs.

I’ve been out and about in the district attending two Hanukkah Menorah lightings, a small business town-hall hosted last week by Representative Hoan Huynh, a Midwest Legislators Roundtable on Biofuels, a meeting at my district office with CEO, Tracy Scott, of the Chicago Housing Authority and several constituent meetings. I love representing all of our neighbors in the 7th District and want to say thank you again for your confidence in me and my staff.

Read on for legislative updates, photo recaps from community meetings and events, and awesome resources for constituents toward the end!

Sincerely,
Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

 Simmons Receives ACLU of Illinois Legislator Award

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons and Senator Lakesia Collins receive the ACLU Illinois Legislator Award recognizing their overall commitment to defending human rights and protecting civil liberties alongside ACLU Director of Systems Reform Policy, Nora Collins-Mandeville.

I was proud to receive the ACLU of Illinois Legislator Award alongside Senator Lakesia Collins and several of my colleagues who have championed legislation that defends human rights and protects our civil liberties. I was recognized for my work in securing passage of House Bill 1596, which requires inclusive language in pre-existing state laws requiring child welfare agencies to honor, respect and use the preferred pronouns of children within their care and systems. This is a necessary and long overdue step in protecting the dignity and wellbeing of young people who have already been failed countless times by broken systems for decades. Thank you ACLU for this honor! I look forward to continuing the fight for human rights for all.