Press Releases

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois will distribute emergency payments to help cover the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits caused by the Trump administration’s attacks on the program, thanks to a plan State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. fought tirelessly to pass.

“The creation of the FRESH Program is Illinois stepping up to help our neighbors with food insecurity when the federal government fails to,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “This program provides immediate support for those who lost or received reduced SNAP benefits due to changing eligibility, ensuring that they will be able to put food on the table for themselves and their family.”

Over one hundred thousand Illinois residents have lost or are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits due to federal requirements signed into law last summer by the Trump administration – placing them at immediate risk of hunger. Beyond instituting new 80-hour-per-month work requirements, the federal administration also removed exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals and young adults aging out of foster care – people who already face significant hardships and are more likely to live in poverty.

To recognize and honor the history and legacy of Emmett Till, State Senators Mattie Hunter and Elgie R. Sims, Jr. led a newly signed law to honor July 25 of each year as Emmett Till Day in Illinois.

“Emmett Till’s legacy represents both the pain and power of our history and the ongoing fight for racial justice,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “As we teach our children and grandchildren about Emmett Till, let July 25 serve as an opportunity to remember our truth, demand justice and find strength in his life, story and memory.”

House Bill 4323 designates July 25 as Emmett Till Day in Illinois, recognizing Till’s life and legacy and acknowledging the significance of his death in the struggle for civil rights in the United States. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Till’s story remains deeply connected to Illinois and serves as a powerful reminder of the work that remains in the pursuit of racial justice.

At just 14 years old, Emmett Till was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi after being falsely accused of interacting with a white woman. His murder and the decision by his mother to publicly display the brutality of the crime galvanized the civil rights movement and awakened the conscience of the nation.

“Emmett Till’s story is a painful chapter in our nation’s history, but it is one we must continue to remember and teach,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “By recognizing Emmett Till Day, we honor his life, the courage of his mother Mamie Till-Mobley and the generations of advocates who have fought for justice and equality.”

House Bill 4323 was signed into law Thursday.

Freed and exonerated Illinoisans joined State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. and State Representative Justin Slaughter at a press conference Tuesday to celebrate a newly signed law creating a clearer path to financial relief for people who have been wrongfully incarcerated in Illinois.

“Today marks a change in how the state of Illinois sees and responds to the injustice of a wrongful incarceration,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “When the system gets it wrong, it’s on us as leaders to step up and make it right. This law goes beyond compensation to provide a path toward justice.”

Since 1989, there have been nearly 600 exonerations in Illinois, with individual compensation often inadequate and awarded inconsistently. The average award for exonerated Illinoisans has been $11,190 per year of wrongful imprisonment, according to the Illinois Innocence Project, located at the University of Illinois Springfield.

A measure led by State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. that was signed into law Friday creates financial guardrails to ensure the criminal justice system supports family connections instead of restricting them.

“Mail correspondence is a vital – and often cost-effective – lifeline,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “When families already spend thousands just to stay in touch with an incarcerated loved one, they shouldn’t face yet another cost barrier to staying connected.”

Under a rule that took effect last year, correctional facilities in Illinois can withhold physical mail and instead provide incarcerated individuals with electronically scanned copies of their mail. In other states that have implemented electronic mail scanning, incarcerated individuals have faced additional charges just to send and receive mail and photographs. Under Sims’ new law, incarcerated individuals cannot be charged any fee for incoming mail nor can they be charged more than regular U.S. postal rates for mail delivery. This fee prohibition also applies to any contracts with the state where a profit could be made from the electronic scanning of incarcerated people’s mail.

Decades of research has shown that regular contact with family members and loved ones – whether in person, by phone or via mail – is one of the strongest predictors of successful rehabilitation and reduced recidivism. Mail is particularly vital, as it is often the most cost-effective and reliable way to stay connected. A study of incarcerated parents in Arizona found that parents cited mail as the most common way they communicated with their children, and those who corresponded via mail reported better relationships with their children as compared to the year before their incarceration.