General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

We just wrapped up a pivotal week in the State Senate! I am elated to announce that yesterday I passed out of the Senate the first bill in the country that outlaws local book banning in schools and libraries, putting our state on the right side of history and rejecting the hateful wave of punitive legislation and book bans we’re seeing in other states like Florida. My bill, SB689 (originally filed as SB1812), preempts local school boards, school districts, or library systems from banning books and includes specific protections for groups that have been targeted for erasure. As the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the Illinois Senate, and as our district’s first Black senator, and as a person who cannot imagine living without books, this is especially important to me and to our communities here in the 7th district. After months of work on this bill, I am grateful for my colleague’s support of this legislation. You can see my live WGN-TV interview about the book banning bill here! Read more about SB689 and the 9 House bills I’m carrying in the Senate that passed out of committees below under legislative updates.

It’s also been a busy stretch in the district! Our office kicked off a series of new small business support initiatives beginning with a corridor walk visiting Asia on Argyle businesses last Friday, and we recently kicked off our monthly townhall series. Read on for more under community updates and news mentions below.

Sincerely,
Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this newsletter finds you well! I am proud to share that I have passed 9 bills out of the State Senate - bills that came directly from the advocacy and lived experiences of constituents like you. The bills cover a broad scope of issue areas including providing new protections for residents of affordable housing, new insurance benefits for preventative health screening for liver disease, new requirements for bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure improvements on state routes, and a one year pause on court-assessed fees, fines, and taxes for returning citizens. For full details on each of my 9 bills, please see Legislative Updates below. 

In addition to moving these bills, I toured a CTA bus garage on Chicago’s west side to see for myself the current storage and electric charging facilities used for buses. I have brought forth legislation, SB1864, that would accelerate the timeline for CTA and other Illinois transit agencies to bring online a fully electric bus fleet so we reduce harmful emissions and make our transit systems more sustainable. 

I also witnessed the signing of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act into law, joined a virtual White House Convening on Child Care Access and Affordability, actively participated in several legislative committee meetings, hosted refugee youth in the REACH program at our district office, honored International Trans Day of Visibility, and held a monthly virtual townhall this week. 

I also want to take a moment to lift up a key resource for our district. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is now accepting applications for the Back to Business Grant. If you own a small business and have not received any pandemic-related funding previously, be sure to see if your small business is eligible and apply!

Stay tuned for more updates, and you can always follow along and track my bills (and other bills I’ve co-sponsored), at ILGA.gov.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

Legislative Updates

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

Spring is right around the corner and things are ramping up both in the 7th District and Springfield. Of my 29 bills filed this legislative session, 7 were heard and passed out of committee this week. These bills, ranging from supporting schools and students with mental healthcare access, to requiring air-conditioning in state-financed affordable housing, to supporting returning citizens, and a package of transportation bills focusing on bike and pedestrian safety, disability justice, and sustainability, are a direct result of the advocacy and voices of 7th district constituents. I am excited to move more people-inspired bills through committees in the next few weeks on the topics of prohibiting book banning in Illinois, child tax credits, Medicaid expansion, eliminating hospital billing for low income patients, compensating our neighbors whose SNAP benefits have been stolen, and procurement transparency for major municipal contracts.

While not in Springfield, I have had so many opportunities to visit stakeholders in the district and beyond. I visited the Erie Foster Avenue Health Center, attended a walk in support of Sarah’s Circle, toured Lurie Children’s Hospital Cardiac Care wing, and visited Uptown’s Institute of Cultural Affairs. I was reminded of how incredibly dedicated our community is to serving one another, finding creative solutions to big problems like equitable healthcare, staffing challenges, language access, and sustainable and cooperative living.

I want to take a moment to point out one very important update: Medicaid redeterminations are no longer on hold! If you are a current recipient of Medicaid, you must make sure your mailing address is up-to-date in their system, or you could be in danger of losing your coverage. Click here to make sure your information is correct or update your address. If you need help, please reach out to my district staff at 773-769-1717. They are more than happy to help you with this process.

As we “spring forward” this weekend, I am looking forward to the warm weather season and all it brings - biking across our district, block club parties, youth events, farmer’s markets, and so much more. Most of all, I look forward to seeing you all in the neighborhood and continuing to bring local government to you in a tangible, helpful way.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

Legislative Updates

Simmons Fights for Improvements to Affordable Housing After Residents’ Deaths

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons presented Senate Bill 2013 to the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, March 7.

To improve the quality of life for residents residing in state-funded affordable housing I passed Senate Bill 2013 out of the Judiciary committee this past Tuesday. This bill is directed at State-Funded affordable housing facilities, requiring them to provide safe and responsive air conditioning and heating for residents, working laundry machines and other basic maintenance provisions. This bill is in direct response to three residents of a Rogers Park senior living complex who died of excessive heat exposure last May.

Senate Bill 2013 requires any residential building that is financed under the Illinois Affordable Housing Program to meet minimum standard of living conditions to continue receiving funding from the program. SB 2013 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor.

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

The new legislative session is off to a quick start with new committee assignments, new bills, and lots of anticipation. Last week I was proud to introduce 29 pieces of legislation covering key areas such as ensuring access to health care, making our streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, increasing affordable housing options and protections, building on human rights for our communities and bringing transparency into government contracting. I will keep you posted on key bills as they are reviewed in committees. As a reminder, you can look up any bills I’ve sponsored or cosponsored on the General Assembly’s website here.

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons listens to the State of the State Budget Address.

Earlier this week I also sat in the House chamber with Rep. Hoan Huynh and Rep. Kelly Cassidy to listen to Governor Pritzker’s State of State Address. The governor presented his recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2024. It was exciting and encouraging to hear about commitments to supporting early childhood education, bolstering human services including significant new investments towards building new permanent supportive housing and scattered-site housing for the unhoused, increasing rate payments for Medicaid, increasing funds for MAP grants so that lower-income students can afford college, and other investments in our communities’ long-term growth. There is more work to be done. I am eagerly looking forward to further examining the budget proposal, asking pointed questions during budget hearings in the weeks and months ahead and crafting a final budget that continues to prioritize and invest in people while keeping our state on the right track.

Sincerely,
Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District