General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

Happy Summer everyone! The last few weeks have been a productive and amazing time back in our district. Several key bills I passed were recently signed into law by Governor Pritzker, including what is now a public law that removes cost barriers for liver disease screenings, another that removes renewal requirements for transit benefits for people living with disabilities and seniors, and another new law requiring air-conditioning in state-supported affordable housing among other key bills.

We’ve hosted myriad events in the district and joined community stakeholders for many more events in our neighborhoods. We resumed my People’s Legislative Councils in late June convening 7th District residents living with disabilities to talk about their lived experiences and legislative needs. We hosted my third annual Pride Press Conference with grassroots leaders and elected officials from across our district to call out the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ+ hate we’ve seen and to celebrate LGBTQ+ people and our history, we rolled out our brand new Traveling Office Hours initiative in Bowmanville and will be doing the next one in Rogers Park next week. And just this week, I traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the White House Convening on Child Care Access, where I and 91 statewide elected leaders and state-level legislators met with White House senior staff to discuss policy proposals to increase access to quality child care and better support working parents and their children. I was thrilled to be invited to this convening and to lift up the needs of our 7th District households in securing access to affordable childcare.

Read on for key legislative updates, recaps of 7th district events we’ve hosted, and a smattering of upcoming community events and resources available to you.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

Legislative Updates

White House Convening on Child Care

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons attends the White House Convening on Child Care, joining legislators from 41 states to discuss policy proposals to expand access to affordable child care.

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons poses with State Senator Samra Brouk from New York at the White House Convening on Child Care.

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons joins legislators in a break out group at the White House Convening on Child Care.

I was invited by the White House to attend the White House Convening on Child Care on Wednesday morning to meet with the Biden-Harris Administration and 41 state leaders from across the country. We collectively brainstormed policy ideas to increase access to high quality, affordable childcare for working households. I was especially proud to lift up the needs of 7th District single moms who participate in my People’s Legislative Council initiative, which has directly informed several bills I’ve introduced and carried in the Senate. Amplifying the needs of our district at the national level was a tall honor. I met several likeminded state legislators from around the country who are also fighting hard for proposals like a permanent child tax credit, paid leave for struggling parents (which we got passed this January thanks to the advocacy of 7th District moms!), better pay for child care providers, and other solid legislative ideas that help parents better care for their children.

Dear Neighbors,

Last Thursday, June 1, 2023 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, we held an End of Session Virtual Town Hall meeting! Those who attended heard from me and my team about legislative wins, budget updates, and upcoming outreach and district events. If you missed this town hall don’t worry! We will be hosting a Travelling Town Hall on Friday, June 16th at 6:30pm. It will take place at Spiteful Brewing Tap Room, 2024 W. Balmoral Ave, Chicago IL 60625.

For those who missed the event, or attended and wants to access what was shared, below is a copy of our presentation or you can watch this Town Hall Recording for a video link of the meeting.

Connecting with you, the constituents of the 7th District, is my top priority. I loved hearing your ideas, questions and concerns; and I cannot wait to hear from more of you in the future!

If you have any questions or concerns you would like to ask me before our next town hall, please feel free to reach out to my district staff by either calling 773-769-1717 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and someone will get back to you soon.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

This week marks the last week of the First Session of the 103rd General Assembly and I am working hard to represent you in these final hours! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to advocate for issues that are important to you such as affordable housing, education, reproductive health, access to health care, sensible gun violence prevention, environmental advocacy, equitable and safe transportation, cooperative housing, and so much more. Each and every one of your phone calls, voicemails, emails, one-on-ones, and drop-ins are important to me.

Below you will find detailed legislative updates which include many bills that are true examples of what co-governing looks like.

I am personally proud to share that my bill, SB1282, which will require private and government provided insurance policies to cover liver disease screenings for high-risk individuals, has passed both chambers and awaits the Governor’s signature. I worked on this bill for many months over two legislative sessions and was glad to get it over the finish line! It will save lives right here in the 7th District.

Another bill of mine, SB 2013, which will require any state-funded residential building to meet minimum standard of living conditions such as requiring accessible air-conditioning, is also heading to the Governor’s desk. Another housing bill SB1484, which establishes a cooperative housing fund, has passed both chambers, as well as SB2278 which will make our roads safer for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit riders by removing rules that require roadways to accommodate semi-trucks.

Another bill SB1709 codifies a key requirement that two state agencies, Department of Human Services and the State Board of Education must provide technical assistance to K-12 schools lacking on-site mental health resources.

Lastly, I am excited that my bill, SB1892, to provide for auto-renewal of transit benefits for those living with disabilities and seniors has passed both chambers and also awaits the Governor’s signature. And my bill SB1864 that accelerates the timeline for the RTA public transit systems (including CTA, Metra, and Pace) to electrify their bus fleets was included in the transportation omnibus bill HB1392.

And just this week I filed SR294 which is a resolution that designates the month of May “Liver Diseases Awareness Month” in Illinois.

Additionally, 9 of my sponsored House bills have passed the Senate, and I have continued to fight for several appropriations and revenue bills. Read more about those below under legislative updates.

There is so much to share, so I encourage you to read all the good news below. I hope you will join me for my upcoming virtual end of session town hall next week on May 24th from 6:30-7:30pm. I am also looking forward to reconvening our People Legislative Council in early June, which will focus on individuals living with disabilities.

Last but not least, I’ll see you soon at upcoming district events, as well as our farmers markets, summer festivals, block parties, school events, and other community gatherings!

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District