General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

March is coming to a close, and I wanted to send out this newsletter to wrap up this month’s community updates. I hope you and your families are all doing well whether you are partaking in the holy month of Ramadan, preparing for Easter this Sunday, fasting for Fasika, celebrating Holi Festival of Colors, or simply spending time with family and friends. We’ve also included a GoFundMe link for a pillar in our community, Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant, an Edgewater family-owned restaurant that is recovering from challenges brought on by the pandemic.

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

As the Spring 2024 legislative session is now underway, this past week in Springfield was fast-paced and energizing. I am continually honored to represent the needs of 7th District constituents in Springfield, and excited to share with you the legislation I am moving through the Senate. Just this week, in direct response to the horrific CTA Yellow Line incident last November, I passed Senate Bill 3451 through the Senate Transportation Committee. Senate Bill 3451 will mandate annual reports from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Regional Transit Authority, the Chicago Transit Authority and Metra detailing federal rail safety recommendations made to them by the National Transportation Safety Board and progress toward implementation.

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.