General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to fire off a special edition newsletter with some new and interesting content. First, I had the chance to do an in-depth interview about my 7th District youth-inspired legislation that will soon create the first statewide youth mental health policy council. See the link to the full interview below.

I also participated in a sprawling and in-depth Chicago Tribune series profiling Illinois’s prominent role in the Underground Railroad. I think it is compelling that so many brave and courageous souls fled slavery and found their way to freedom right through many of our rivers, forests, and backcountry roads throughout Illinois. A branch of my own family on my mom’s side was living in Michigan as early as 1846, and very likely participated in the Underground Railroad. See below for the link to the story.

Lastly, you’ll see a graphic below for our next traveling office hours event at Senn High School on Oct. 3rd. This time we will be curating the townhall for 7th District youth! Enjoy the newsletter and have a safe and fun weekend!

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

Senator Simmons Discusses Youth Mental Health in Illinois with Outside the Loop Radio

Caption: Senator Simmons is interviewed by Outside the Loop Radio to discuss youth mental health.

I recently took an interview with Mike Stephen of Outside the Loop to discuss youth mental health in Illinois and my legislation, which requires schools to instruct on how and where youth can access mental health resources. The new law also establishes a soon to debut, first of its kind statewide Student Mental Health Council which will include 14-25 years olds who are queer, black and brown, and others who have been underrepresented in discussions at the State Capitol around how to improve access to mental health.

To listen to the full interview, click here (my segment begins at 16:05.)

Underground Railroad Task Force and Keeping the Legacy of Freedom Seekers Relevant and Present
by Darcel Rockett of the Chicago Tribune

Caption: Clockwise from top left: The Antioch Baptist Church in Venice, Chicago's Finest Marina in Chicago, the Second Reading Book Shop in Alton and The Gillett House in Jacksonville are all Underground Railroad sites in Illinois. Photographs were made using an iPhone tintype filter. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

‘State Sen. Mike Simmons, a North Side Democrat, said that having recognition of the Underground Railroad, specifically Illinois’ prominence in the Underground Railroad is long overdue. As someone who has branches of his family tree in Michigan as early as 1846, Simmons said his ancestors probably used the Underground Railroad network.

“It’s a fascinating point of reflection that Black Americans found a way out of slavery before emancipation through the backcountry and waterways and swamps and thick forests and hostile terrains of several American states largely of their own agency,” Simmons said.’

Recognition of the Underground Railroad and Illinois’ prominence in that history is long overdue. It was a deep and profound joy to personally contribute to Darcel Rockett’s incredible Chicago Tribune article which brings attention to the untold stories of Black communities and freedom seekers and allies in Illinois who shaped and established the local networks of the Underground Railroad in the 1800s.

On my maternal side, I personally can trace back my own family’s lineage to 1846 when a branch of my Black-American ancestors were already living in Michigan. They were undoubtedly a part of the Underground Railroad that ran through Illinois and Michigan and several surrounding states. It is incredible to fully honor and recognize this important history in Illinois. In a significant step in honoring our history, I am proud to have co-led passage of SB1623 into law, which will create a task force to develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, and create new educational opportunities. We all must keep our collective history alive, especially in the current climate where a movement has grown to erase black history and other communities’ American stories.

7th District Ties to Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad in Illinois has direct ties to the 7th District, with Graceland Cemetery at 4001 N. Clark St. in Lakeview being the final resting place for at least 29 Underground Railroad activists. Accompanying her article on freedom seekers, Darcel Rockett compiled a list of Illinois Underground Railroad historic sites, specifically highlighting Graceland Cemetery, which you can read here.

In 2021, the National Parks Service added Graceland Cemetery to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. To read about their legacies, please visit gracelandcemetery.org/underground-railroad-activists.

Calling All Youth:
Traveling Office Hours at Senn High School

Calling all youth! Join me and my office on Tuesday, October 3 from 4-5PM at Senn High School and make your voices heard at our Traveling Office Hours event. Whether you’re in elementary, junior high, or high school, we want to hear from you about your concerns, questions, and ideas. Your voice is so important and deserves to help shape the future of government in Illinois. See you there!

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! If you ever want to reach out to our office, please call us at 773-769-1717 and we will respond promptly. We can also be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you enjoy these recent updates from me and our district team. August was a remarkable month where I joined Vice President Kamala Harris in Chicago with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, Students Demand Action and hundreds of organizers from around the country who are fighting for sensible gun laws. This rally was held on the same day that the Illinois Supreme Court narrowly voted to uphold the assault weapons ban I strongly supported and helped to pass in January.

I also am proud that my team and I organized and held a Back to School Bash at Sullivan High School where hundreds of people from across our district showed up to get colorful backpacks, supplies, local food, and connected with me and other folks from the neighborhood. We also connected attendees with state services.

During last week’s heatwave, we visited senior buildings across the district to do wellness checks and make sure folks know we’re here for them. Remember, if you or your neighbor is experiencing difficulty during a weather event, feel free to call me and my staff at 773-769-1717 and we will try to connect you with the right assistance.

This weekend I’ll be hosting our second annual “Chalk It Up” event at Whyte Park on Howard Street in Rogers Park, where community members can come and enjoy food, music, and draw a flag (or flags) on the ground that represent who they are as we celebrate the multiculturalism and diversity of the far north side. This is a unique, feel good community-building event and I hope you will stop by and say hi.

Read on for legislative updates and more community updates. See you soon!

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District

 Legislative Updates

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons joins gun violence prevention advocates at a gun safety event with Vice President Kamala Harris in Chicago to promote safer communities and reduce gun violence.

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense join together for a day of advocacy for sensible gun legislation in Chicago with Vice President Harris.

To continue building safer communities and promoting gun-violence prevention, I attended a gun safety event with Vice President Kamala Harris in Chicago in tandem with the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Assault Weapon Ban. I joined Vice President Harris, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, and hundreds of passionate organizers for a day of advocacy for sensible gun legislation in Illinois and across the country.

Earlier this year, I co-sponsored and helped pass the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which outlaws assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Illinois. With the ruling in favor of upholding this ban, Illinois will continue to have one of the strongest assault weapon bans in the country, which will save lives and rebuild communities.

As Vice President Harris said during our afternoon of advocacy, “We don’t have another moment or life to spare.” I will continue to be aggressive in supporting stronger gun laws. I want children to be able to walk to school and feel safe, moms and dads to see their children grow up and become adults, and our schools, places of worship, public transit, and nightclubs to be places where we can live and gather in peace. The racially motivated shooting this weekend in Florida is a stinging reminder that complacency is not an option and we must agitate for much tighter gun laws at the state and national levels. We cannot let up.

General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons

Dear Neighbor,

I am happy to announce that work on my district office is now complete! We made some changes that I believe will make the space even more welcoming for constituents, including an outside space for folks to meet and enjoy the warm weather. Please stop by and say hello soon. We are here for you.

In other updates, I tested positive for COVID-19 last week and had to quarantine and spend a few days recovering. I want to encourage everyone to keep healthy in the weeks ahead, and remember to follow health department guidelines if you feel ill or think you may have had a recent exposure. Free testing is available at many local stores and pharmacies. As always, feel free to call my office if you need help finding healthcare or lack a primary health care home. We will help guide you.

On another topic, I have great news: I passed a youth mental health bill last year, SB4028 in the 102nd General Assembly, that among other things creates the first statewide Student Mental Health Council, which will be comprised of diverse 14-25 year olds from diverse backgrounds (including LGBTQ+ youth among others) whose voices are needed to better shape state-level mental health policy. I want to encourage young people between 14-25 to apply for the newly created Student Mental Health Council here. The deadline is Sept. 22.

A handful more of my bills were signed into law recently. Read on for details on those as well as key community updates and word about new resources available.

Finally, a huge THANK YOU to our summer interns Ochii, Justin, and Byron who are wrapping up their internships soon. Each played pivotal roles on our district team this summer and I enjoyed seeing them gain valuable experience.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District

 Legislative Updates

Caption: Senator Mike Simmons led passage of three bills signed into law this July.

This month, several more bills I authored and passed were signed into law, including: Senate Bill 1710 and Senate Bill 2014.

Additionally, I played a key role in shaping and leading several House Bills through the Senate that were also signed into law this month, including House BIll 2131, House Bill 1342, House BIll 2297, and House Bill 3631.

Bike and pedestrian safety improvements: A key legislative accomplishment of mine that the governor signed last Friday is Senate Bill 2014. The bill will require that IDOT complete bike and pedestrian safety improvements to state-managed roadways within 500 feet of the site of any routine maintenance or improvements otherwise being done. This will help ensure bike and pedestrian safety improvements are efficiently completed in tandem with routine work such as pothole or street lighting repairs. The improvements could include high-visibility signage, crosswalk upgrades, curb bump outs, barrier-protected bike lanes and bus shelters. This bill was a major win for statewide bike and ped safety improvements. This follows the new MOU signed by IDOT and CDOT that also will enable more coordination of similar infrastructure improvements more locally here in Chicago.

Warning signs on bike trails and roadways: Last year, on two separate occasions, we experienced the loss of two children to traffic violence. I want our residents to feel safe by providing them with the security of increased protections for pedestrians and cyclists to bring about a less stressful experience while walking and cycling. Senate Bill 1710 requires bike trails to have warning signs along the path to let pedestrians and cyclists know of a vehicle crossing at least 150 feet in advance; the same requirement applies to roadways 150 before a bike trail crossing. Senate Bill 1710 was signed into law on Friday, July 28.

Comprehensive public transportation plan: Improving public transportation and increasing the number of clean energy buses is essential to improving the lives of 7th District residents. As chief cosponsor of House Bill 1342, I played a key role in shaping and leading this legislation through the Senate. I am excited to announce this newly signed law will accelerate the rollout of electric buses, reduce ride fares for youth and survivors of domestic violence, create work opportunities for youth, make public transit systems more efficient and accessible, and provide assistance to recover and regain ridership to pre-pandemic levels. House Bill 1342 was signed into law on Friday, July 28. The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Regional Transit Authority Public Transportation Assistance Program and requirements for PACE and METRA to create youth employment opportunities went into immediate effect, and the rest take effect January 1, 2024.

The Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force: All residents should have peace of mind in knowing that they are safe and secure when traveling. Pedestrians, cyclists, and non-motorists should be just as safe and secure as those traveling by car. As a lifelong cyclist and in honor of the lives lost to traffic violence, I led House Bill 2131 in the Senate. This law creates the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force to help reduce bicycle accidents on roads by reporting detailed analysis of existing practices around speed limits, the reduction of speed limits, the steps to eliminate vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle fatalities on roads, and their lasting impact. House Bill 2131 was signed into law on Friday, July 28.

Achieving a more diversified state workforce: I believe that it is a basic human right for everyone to be referred to by their preferred pronouns in everyday life, and our state’s workforce should be a leader in reflecting the diversity of our population. I passed House Bill 2297 through the Senate, which adds state employees who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming to the list of women, minorities and persons with physical disabilities in regards to agencies tracking this information to help guide efforts and bring visibility to gender-expansive state workers. House Bill 2297 was signed into law on Friday, July 28 and goes into effect on July 1, 2025.

Protecting pharmacists and consumers: It is imperative that we protect our pharmacist’s ability to serve our communities. I was proud to lead passage through the Senate of House Bill 3631, which was signed into law on August 4. This law prohibits Pharmacy Benefit Managers from retaliating against pharmacists who disclose information in a legal setting if they have reasonable cause to believe that the disclosed information is evidence of a violation of a state or federal law, rule, or regulation.

Here are all additional bills I passed that have been signed by the governor into law so far this summer:

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.