Dear Neighbor, 

While vaccination efforts ramp up across the state, not everyone has equal access to a shot. In March I requested COVID-19 data for the 7th District from the Department of Public Health. Upon review it was clear that ZIP codes 60626 and 60659 had the highest COVID-19 infection rates and least access to the vaccine in the district. Those ZIP codes cover Rogers Park and West Ridge, home to many immigrants, non-primary English speakers, and those living without reliable access to quality health care here in the 7^th Senate District. 

To address this systemic inequity,  I organized and hosted two COVID-19 vaccine clinics last Friday, which delivered shots directly to 200 residents of Rogers Park and West Ridge. I want to thank the Howard Brown Health Center, the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, and ONE Northside for partnering with me on this event, and to all the health care workers and volunteers who helped plan and execute both vaccine clinics in the 7th district. 

Dear Neighbor,

Now that we’ve entered Phase 1C of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, a new mass vaccination site will open next week near our community at Wrigley Field on April 5. This site will be equipped to serve eligible 7th District residents.

The mass vaccination site will be held at the American Airlines Conference Center at Gallagher Way at 1101 W. Waveland Avenue, next to Wrigley Field, and will be operated by Advocate Aurora Health. It will have capacity to administer approximately 2,000 doses a day. The site is by appointment only; there is no on-site registration.

Registration for vaccination appointments will be available starting next week on https://www.zocdoc.com/vaccine

Appointments will start being posted on ZocDoc later this week. Additional appointments will be added daily. All Chicagoans eligible in Phases 1A, 1B, or 1C will be able to schedule appointments. Additional details about telephone options to book appointments at both sites will also be announced prior to opening.

Appointments will be restricted to Chicago residents, and people will need to bring proof of residency to their appointment. A driver’s license, Illinois ID card or REAL ID, City Key Card, library card, postmarked letter, utility bill, voter registration confirmation, Consular ID (Matricula Consular), and many other forms of identification will all be accepted. A complete list of eligible documents is available at Chicago.gov/COVIDVax. The vaccine will be offered at no cost, and insurance is not required. Documentation regarding immigration status is also not required.

Here’s some information that can help you determine if you or members of your family are eligible. Remember that you can find a list of mass vaccination sites in Chicago here and that every one of us who receives a COVID-19 vaccine makes everybody a little bit safer.

Who is eligible to receive a vaccine under Chicago’s Phase 1C?

All types of essential workers and Chicagoans age 16-64 who have underlying medical conditions qualify under Phase 1C.

What underlying medical conditions qualify someone for Phase 1C?

People with the following conditions are eligible for vaccination at locations open to Chicago residents under Phase 1C:

• Cancer (current diagnosis)
• Cardiac, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disorders (including heart disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension or high blood pressure)
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Chronic respiratory disorders (including cystic fibrosis, moderate to severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema [COPD])
• Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)
• Disability: physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental
• Neurologic conditions (including dementia)
• Down Syndrome
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
• Liver disease (including hepatitis)
• Pregnancy
• Obesity, which is defined as having a Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2
• Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
• Sickle Cell Disease
• Thalassemia

Which workers are essential workers under Phase 1C?

You qualify as an essential worker if you are employed in:

• Clergy and religious organizations
• Energy
• Finance
• Food and beverage service
• Higher education
• Information technology and communications
• Legal
• Media
• Other community- or government-based operations and essential functions
• Personal care services and hygiene
• Public health
• Public safety
• Retail
• Shelter and housing
• Transportation and logistics
• Water and wastewater

You can find more detailed information here, including a more specific breakdown of essential workers.

Vaccines are safe and effective. I know many people in the 7th Senate District have comforted and looked out for their neighbors and fellow Chicagoans during this year of hardship. Thank you for doing that for our community. Right now, getting vaccinated is one of the best ways we can help each other. 

If you need any help from my office regarding vaccination or anything else, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact me through my website here or call my office at (773) 769-1717.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons
State Senator, 7th Illinois Senate District

Dear neighbor,

It’s time to begin the once-in-a-decade task of redrawing congressional and state legislative district lines.  

In an effort to gather public input to help us create a plan that reflects the diversity of the state, the Illinois Senate is hosting public hearings — and you’re welcome to watch and provide testimony.

This week on April 2, the Chicago North Redistricting Subcommittee will host a meeting at 3 p.m.

You may join us online at www.Ilga.gov. Once there, look under the Senate heading and click on Audio/Video. You should see links to activate audio and video streams of the subcommittee. These links will become live shortly before the subcommittee begins.

If you would like to testify or submit written testimony to the Illinois State Senate Redistricting Committee or any of its subcommittees contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information and a full list of hearings, visit www.ilsenateredistricting.com.

I hope you will take advantage of having your voice heard.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons
State Senator, 7th Illinois Senate District

Dear Neighbor,

I am writing to provide you with an update. My first few weeks as your state senator were spent visiting with small businesses, health care facilities, social service agencies, food pantries, and schools across Rogers Park, Lincoln Square, Uptown, Edgewater, and West Ridge. I heard directly from mom-and-pop business owners who have weathered the pandemic, physicians and nurses making COVID-19 vaccines available to our most vulnerable neighbors, food pantry workers who risk their health every day to feed our neighbors who have lost their livelihoods through no fault of their own, and school leaders who have seen firsthand the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of our young people. I will continue to be out and about all across the 7^th District in the weeks ahead to meet you and listen to the experiences of our community. And I will be in touch with you as the legislative session continues in Springfield.

Legislative Update

This past week, the Senate came back into session and I finished filing my first bills. My first proposal would create a $600-per-child tax credit intended to provide economic relief to our parents. Only a handful of other states have a state-level child tax credit, and my proposal would be one of the more generous in the country. If passed, this measure would work in tandem with the recently passed federal child tax credit to begin to address child poverty rates in the 7^th District.

My second measure would provide health insurance to more of the uninsured by expanding Medicaid eligibility for our neighbors whose income is low, but who nonetheless earn just above the current threshold of 138% of the federal poverty line. They cannot afford to purchase health insurance on the exchanges. These are our neighbors who are in transient jobs, scraping by as gig workers, or are empty nesters who have very little income but don’t currently qualify for Medicaid. Last year nearly 900,000 people across Illinois lacked health insurance coverage. This bill would be a major first step in finishing the important work of the Affordable Care Act to provide health care for more people in our community.

I have introduced another key bill that would ensure consistent data collection for the LGBTQIA population being served by hospitals and state agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data would help advocates address health disparities and effectively target state resources.

I look forward to these pieces of legislation being assigned to and taken up in committee. Feel free to contact my office at https://senatormikesimmons.com/contact-us if you’d like to share your ideas, your opinion on any of these bills, or any other legislation in the General Assembly.

Community Update: Standing with Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders

I stand with all of our neighbors and community members who are Asian, Asian-American and Pacific Islanders. We have seen an increase in episodes of violence and discrimination against Asian-Americans over the last year, with the group Stop Asian American Hate reporting 3,800 incidents over the last year. Many incidents simply go unreported. White supremacy, misogyny, xenophobia, and violence will have no home in our community. I encourage you to report incidents of violence or property damage to 911 or your local police department. Incidents of discrimination and mistreatment can be reported to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cchr.html or you may dial 312.744.4111 to file a report. 

I will always be looking for ways we can center the experiences of women of color, including Asian-American women, in my legislative work. That work includes making sure that we have a more equitable curriculum in our schools that teaches the contributions of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout American history. I have co-sponsored the Teach Asian American Community History measure (the TEAACH Act), which would require that this history be taught in our schools. This work also requires more immediate efforts like ensuring reports of hate crimes against Asian-Americans are taken seriously and aggressively investigated. I will be working to ensure that hate crimes targeting members of our community are reported, investigated, and addressed promptly. I will continue to use my voice to speak out on these issues and ensure the breadth of diversity we have in the 7^th Senate District is honored and celebrated at every opportunity.

Support Small Businesses

Finally, I’d like to ask you to please consider patronizing your local shops, restaurants, and businesses in your immediate community. The 7^th Senate District is home to such a rich variety of places to get basic goods and services, including restaurants that serve delicious food from all over the world, and I encourage you to support your local small businesses at every opportunity. We will get through this pandemic together.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons
State Senator, 7th Illinois Senate District