SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr., a Democrat from Chicago and Senate Criminal Law Committee chairperson, released the following statement after the governor took executive action to form the Justice, Equity and Opportunity (JEO) Initiative, which aims to centralize and modernize the state’s criminal justice reform efforts: “Communicat...

SPRINGFIELD—Legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 passed the Senate on Thursday. “Raising the minimum wage throughout the state is crucial to help struggling, working families in Illinois,” Sims said. “This effort was unfortunately blocked by the past administration, but th...

CHICAGO—State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) commends the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the City of Chicago and Chicago Police Department (CPD) on their work and negotiations that resulted in the approval of a consent decree to reform the department. “I applaud the efforts that made this consent decree possible,” Sims said. “The tru...

SPRINGFIELD – Property taxes will be lower for some homeowners and business owners in South Suburban communities thanks to a new state grant program that seeks to lift some of the burden on school districts that are heavily taxed. The Property Tax Relief Grant is part of the education funding reform package that has been put in place to level th...

CHICAGO–State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after an unknown gunman shot and killed an 18-year-old man and wounded another person at Orland Square Mall Monday night:  “Monday night, I, unfortunately, witnessed two tragedies. The first was yet another senseless shooting, as a young man was gunned down...

  CHICAGO – Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke received a sentence Friday of a little less than 7 years for second degree murder in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald: “This sentencing was disappointing because it provides further support that even i...

CHICAGO—State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order for a full audit of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs’ (IDVA), health, safety and security procedures in response to one of the residents at the Manteno Veterans’ Home testing positive for Legionnaires’ D...