Koehler praises transformation of Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts at ISU

NORMAL — State Senator Dave Koehler today joined Illinois State University leaders, faculty and community members to celebrate the groundbreaking transformation of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. This project expands opportunities for students and strengthens arts and culture in Central Illinois.

“This transformative project represents an investment not only in the arts, but in our youth and the commitment to creating more creatives in our state," said Koehler (D-Peoria). "ISU’s new fine arts building will help support the expressive community of students already there, attract bright new talent and contribute to the cultural growth of our region."

This multi-phase project, made possible by the Rebuild Illinois program, renovates and reconfigures existing facilities to provide updated teaching and rehearsal spaces, improved accessibility and enhanced areas for community engagement. The improvements will better position the college to train future artists, educators and creative professionals who contribute to the region’s cultural and economic life.

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Turner and Senate Democrats announce $2 million investment for homelessness relief

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner announced an investment of $2 million in community organizations dedicated to combatting homelessness in Central Illinois. These grant investments are part of the state’s interagency Home Illinois Plan, an initiative intended to drive state funding and policy toward preventing and eventually reaching functional zero homelessness  – a goal where the state prevents homelessness whenever possible and ensures that if homelessness does occur, it is brief, rare and singular.

"With this funding, we are fulfilling our responsibility to help our neighbors stay housed and support our communities as they recover from the far-reaching effects of housing instability," said Turner (D-Springfield). "Every family in Illinois deserves a safe, secure place to call home, and this investment is essential to helping more families find stability, hope and a path forward."

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New year, new Illinois laws: What’s in store for 2026

SPRINGFIELD — As 2025 comes to a close, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus is looking ahead to measures taking effect Jan. 1.

In the new year, more than 250 new laws in Illinois will go into effect — from one that bans discriminatory AI in the workplace to another that enhances missing persons investigations. These include:

• Senate Bill 8: Increases gun storage safety requirements and reporting requirements for lost and stolen firearms.
• Senate Bill 24: Prohibits law enforcement agencies from observing a waiting period before accepting a missing persons report. It requires information from a missing persons report to be entered into the agencies’ data systems upon receipt of the report.
• Senate Bill 212: Requires employers to provide paid break time to nursing mothers so they may express or “pump” breast milk for their child.
• Senate Bill 314: Requires a physical fitness center to clearly disclose any change in the cost of or reduction in benefits to a customer’s gym membership at least 60 days before the automatic renewal of the membership.
• Senate Bill 710: Allows the Department of Natural Resources to issue two free deer permits to individuals who qualify for the youth-only deer season. Allows IDNR to issue nuisance permits to landowners whose property is being damaged by deer.
• Senate Bill 1274: Allows a sexual assault services voucher provided by a hospital to be used for a taxi or rideshare service to transport a survivor home, to a shelter or to the transfer hospital.
• Senate Bill 1548: Establishes a Golden Search Awareness Program to raise awareness of missing persons with developmental disabilities.
• House Bill 2517: Expands implicit bias training for health care workers in Illinois to include training in potential maternal health risk factors associated with increased mortality rate.
• House Bill 3247: Codifies a child’s right to receive a public education and to participate in public school events and activities regardless of the child’s immigration status or the immigration status of their parents or guardians.
• House Bill 3773: Makes it illegal for employers to use AI that discriminates against workers based on protected characteristics or uses ZIP codes as a stand-in for those traits in areas like hiring, promotion, job training and more.

A full list of laws that take effect Jan. 1, 2026 can be found here.

New Castro law to support craft distilleries, make cocktails-to-go permanent

SPRINGFIELD — A new law led by State Senator Cristina Castro will make a temporary “cocktails to-go” state law permanent and create new rules to allow more small Illinois distilleries to self-distribute spirits.

“Supporting restaurants and bars is also supporting small distilleries and local producers across the state,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “We want to make sure local businesses have the easiest path possible to operate, succeed and create jobs in our communities.”

Senate Bill 618 creates a class 3 craft distiller’s license, which allows distilleries to manufacture up to 100,000 gallons of spirits annually. These licensees can then apply for the ability to self-distribute up to 2,500 gallons annually.

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