SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) issued the following statement on news of the verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial:
“With today’s verdict, Derek Chauvin has been held accountable for the murder of George Floyd. At a basic minimum, this is what we need, and I am relieved to see the verdict. But we must ask ourselves now what justice will look like for George Floyd.
“Justice is broad and systemic, and this verdict tells us that the system must change from the ground up. George Floyd was executed on camera in a matter of minutes. His daughter will never see him again. Derek Chauvin has had many months and more of due process, all while communities across the country anxiously awaited this decision, not at all confident that Chauvin would face consequences even in light of the fact that his crime was caught on film.
“That this was in doubt, that we feel relieved that there will be consequences, speaks to how much the system needs changing. Chauvin is one officer whose misconduct will be punished. This must cease to be the exception, or more Black lives will be routinely taken from us.”
SPRINGFIELD – To better determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed LGBTQIA+ communities in Illinois, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) passed legislation out of an Illinois Senate committee Thursday that would require state agencies and hospitals to gather more specific data on age, sex, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity when dealing with COVID-19 patients.
Simmons, the first openly gay member of the Illinois Senate, said visibility is the first step to ensuring justice in how services are delivered to these historically marginalized communities.
“For members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, who already disproportionately face challenges in getting medical care or sadly lack the support of family, COVID-19 has the potential to be even more devastating,” Simmons said. “We can’t protect these communities if we refuse to see them.”
Read more: Simmons moves to gather data on how COVID-19 has harmed LGBTQ+ communities
CHICAGO – Last week, State Senator Mike Simmons toured the newly opened mass vaccination site located near Wrigley Field, which provides up to 2,000 doses daily to people who live in and around the 7th District – and vowed to bring more shots to the area.
“Vaccine efforts are ramping up across the state, but it has become apparent that too many people feel that the process of securing an appointment and getting a vaccine is out of reach,” Simmons said. “People within the district I represent are dealing with systemic barriers to accessing health care overall, and vaccine distribution is shining a light on systemic inequities that affect 7th District residents.”
Alongside Congressman Mike Quigley and Representative Margaret Croke, Simmons toured the new mass vaccination site near Wrigley Field located at American Airlines Conference Center at Gallagher Way. Advocate Aurora Health is operating the site, and Simmons says he is in discussions with the group to arrange partnerships that will target more vaccines to those in need across the 7th District.
The Wrigley Field facility will offer up to 2,000 shots daily. Additionally, starting yesterday, Monday, April 12, Chicagoans can make an appointment to receive a shot at the United Center.
People can call 312-746-4835 or visit Zocdoc.com/vaccine to request an appointment at either location.
“The only way to end this pandemic and get back to a life of normalcy is by ensuring as many people as possible are vaccinated equitably,” Simmons said. “We have to do the extra work to ensure people who are not well-served by the health care system have easy access to the vaccine and culturally competent medical professionals who will help to assuage their concerns.”
For a full list of available sites, people can visit coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-location or call the Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 833-621-1284.
“We cannot overcome COVID-19 if we leave communities like these behind.”
CHICAGO — Two hundred residents, mostly from the Rogers Park and West Ridge neighborhoods, received COVID-19 vaccines today at events organized by State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago), in partnership with the Howard Brown Health Center, the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, and ONE Northside.
Simmons worked with the organizations to set up the events and reach out to residents of the 60626 and 60659 ZIP codes and adjacent communities after reports he requested from the Illinois Department of Public Health showed that infections still remain high and vaccination rates low in those communities, mirroring broader inequities in the health system.
“We’re talking about communities with immigrants, non-primary English speakers, and those living without reliable access to quality health care here in the 7th Senate District,” Simmons said. “Those circumstances present huge barriers to vaccine access, and if we’re to overcome them we have to proactively reach out and facilitate access. Many of our residents have language, transportation, and economic barriers to accessing the vaccine.”
Read more: 200 Rogers Park, West Ridge residents vaccinated at local events organized by Simmons
CHICAGO — Responding to briefings on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of vaccine access in parts of the 7th Illinois Senate District, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) has partnered with local organizations to help secure vaccinations for 200 residents in the communities at most risk of COVID-19 and thus far the worst access to shots.
Those set to receive the vaccine at two community sites tomorrow are primarily from the Rogers Park and West Ridge neighborhoods of the 7th Senate District, which data requested by Simmons showed have both endured high COVID-19 infection rates but have struggled to access vaccines.
“The 60626 ZIP code in Rogers Park and West Ridge is experiencing the most inequitable rate of COVID-19 infections right now in the district,” Simmons said. “And we know that in particular, securing vaccines has proven challenging for immigrant communities like the ones in this part of the city, who face everything from transportation issues to language barriers. I was moved to work with these local organizations to help set up appointments for 200 residents who face systemic barriers to accessing the vaccine equitably and who otherwise would not be likely to have access anytime soon.”
The vaccine appointments were booked with the help of the Ethiopian Community Association, Howard Brown Health Center and ONE Northside, working in coordination with Simmons’ office. Many vaccine recipients are members of Chicago’s Ethiopian community, immigrants and asylees, and other low-income residents who face barriers in accessing the vaccine.
“To fight this virus, we need to view every community’s vaccination effort with equal urgency, and we need to meet people where they are,” Simmons said. “We cannot overcome COVID-19 if we leave communities like these behind.”
All appointments at both locations have been booked. The two events will be held tomorrow, April 9, at:
The Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
5800 N. Lincoln Ave.
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Howard Brown Health Center in partnership with ONE Northside
6555 N. Clark St.
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago), joined by advocates from Voices for Illinois Children, SEIU Healthcare and Start Early, as well as members of the community, spoke out about his legislation creating a new $600-per-child state income tax credit to help working families make ends meet at a Wednesday press conference.
“As we reinvest in our communities following the pandemic, we must make sure working families are included,” Simmons said. “This pandemic has wrought devastation on families of color and children living in poverty in particular, and too often, they’re left out of the conversation.”
Simmons’ plan would provide a $600-per-child income tax credit for single parents making less than $40,000 per year and two-parent households that make less than $60,000. It would gradually phase out for parents at higher income levels.
Read more: Simmons calls for $600-per-child tax credit for struggling families
State Senator Mike Simmons will speak Wednesday on one of his first pieces of legislation, Senate Bill 2132, which would institute a child credit for Illinois state income taxes. Simmons said the $600-per-child credit for those making up to the median salary in Illinois is intended to supplement the robust COVID-recovery efforts approved through the federal American Rescue Plan.
“Everyone has grappled with grief and hardship over the past year due to COVID, and I think we need to acknowledge that for parents it has meant even more anxieties, sacrifices and unforeseen expenses,” Simmons said. “We talk a lot about economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic. That recovery needs to include an investment in our families.”
Read more: Simmons to announce plan for $600-per-child state tax credit
CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) applauded the signing of a major economic reforms package Tuesday, the culmination of years of work on the part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and advocates to address structural racism in Illinois’ financial systems.
Among the reforms, Simmons said legislation capping payday loan rates at 36% and empowering employees to bring human rights complaints against their employers in particular are welcome changes that will help working people in the 7th Illinois Senate District.
“We need to push for an economy that roots out structural racism,” Simmons said. “These reforms should be a start to creating a path to an economy removed of some of the worst and most obvious forms of abuse.”
The wide-ranging economic reform package also included measures expanding the Illinois Equal Pay Act to hold employers of companies with more than 100 employees more accountable for how they pay their workers, as well as incentives to banks for providing lending and banking services to economically disadvantaged communities through the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act.
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