CHICAGO – To kick off Parks and Recreation Month, State Senator Elgie Sims announced funding for investments at the Marian R. Byrnes Park within the Chicago Park District.

“Chicago has a number of beautiful parks that allow families to get out and be active together,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “By making critical improvements to our local parks and outdoor spaces, we are prioritizing the overall well-being of our residents.”

Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program grants are administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and support local park projects. When combined with local matching funds, the latest OSLAD grants provide more than $56 million in local park development projects and land acquisitions statewide. The Marian R. Brynes Park within the Chicago Park District will receive $500,000 of the funds.

“This park is a staple of our community, and I look forward to the improvements that are brought forth, but the jobs these projects will create to give the local economy a boost and the benefits it provides to families in our community” said Sims. “As we kick off Parks and Recreation Month, I encourage you to get outside and check out all the lovely parks our state has to offer.”

Learn more about OSLAD grants and see a full list of projects on the Illinois DNR website.

CHICAGO – State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the nation’s top court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping millions of women across the nation from their right to choose:

“Today is a devastating day for our country. Our worst fears are coming to pass as we see continued assaults on of our fundamental rights, all in an effort to forward a political agenda rooted in fear and opposed to progress. Although I’m not surprised by the ruling, I am speechless by the brazen way in which a fundamental right, the right to make one’s health care decisions, have been stripped away from women across our nation in support of a political agenda.

“While women in Illinois can take solace in knowing that our state respects their right to choose and has stood with them to protect this right, millions across our nation don’t have that same peace of mind. As a husband, father and community leader, this reality breaks my heart.

“We cannot and will not allow the assault on our fundamental rights to continue. Our very future is at stake. Let’s continue to uplift our voices, organizing and advocating to turn pain into progress.

“Our fight continues to ensure women’s rights and all of our fundamental rights are protected.” 

CHICAGO – State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) supported a newly signed law to prohibit colleges for withholding transcripts from students as a means of debt collection.

“Imagine spending years getting your college degree only to be told you can’t access your transcript because your debt isn’t paid off,” Sims said. “How are we supposed to encourage people to attend college if they’re penalized for not being privileged enough to afford it out-of-pocket?”

Under the law, universities will be prohibited from withholding transcripts as a means of debt collection. It also requires colleges to institute a hardship policy to ensure students that have to withdraw due to significant financial or physical hardship leave school with as little debt as possible.

Additionally, the legislation prevents student debt that gets sent to a collection’s agency from being used against a student’s credit score.  

“Student debt is burdensome enough – people don’t need the added stress of not being able to receive their transcript,” Sims said.

Senate Bill 3032 was signed into law and took immediate effect.

CHICAGO – To provide residents with a secure option for shredding documents containing personal information, State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. is hosting an event in Chicago offering free, safe discarding services.

The free shred day will take place Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Gately Stadium parking lot, located at 102^nd and Corliss. The event can be found on 103^rd St. – the furthest south end of the parking lot, east of Smith School and just west of the Stadium.

A limit of two boxes of documents per car will be encouraged but electronic recycling will not be available.

“Securely discarding vulnerable documents is a strong effort to protect yourself and your family from identity fraud,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “Many of us have piles of old, unnecessary documents cluttering our homes, and I encourage families to take advantage of this free community event to safely dispose unwanted papers containing personal information.”

Examples of documents with personally identifiable information that should be safely discarded include bank statements, outdated medical records, tax returns, utility bills, junk mail, credit card applications and receipts.

For more information, call Sims’ office at 773-933-7715.