PEORIA – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced on Thursday afternoon that a $10 million grant from the Illinois Capital Development Board would be dedicated to launching Distillery Labs, the Peoria hub of the Illinois Innovation Network.

“This grant is very exciting news for the Peoria area and all of Central Illinois,” Koehler said. “This hub is certain to become a social and economic boon to our community, and I know that the Innovation Network will benefit as well from this partnership with Peoria.”

This funding comes as a part of a second wave of grants through Governor JB Pritzker’s bipartisan capital plan. The grant will facilitate the purchase and renovation of the Thomas Building in downtown Peoria, where labs, classrooms and offices will be established with a goal of improving the wellness of underserved populations and advancing systems related to food, farming and transportation.

“Illinois is a pillar in the United States’ research community, and the Peoria area is proud to play a part in upholding that reputation,” Koehler said. “I’m grateful to Governor Pritzker and CDB for this investment in our community, and I know that that this local hub of the Innovation Network will benefit families in the Peoria area for years to come.”

SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday morning, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) held a press conference alongside State Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly to discuss his legislation to modernize Firearms Owner Identification cards in Illinois.

“Our goal is to ensure that we are keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others,” Koehler said. “Our goal is not, however, to hassle safe, responsible gun owners. Through the modernization and streamlining of the FOID card process, I believe we can successfully accomplish both of our objectives.”

Senate Bill 1165, an initiative of the ISP, would create a prohibited persons portal to help law enforcement identify people whose FOID cards have been revoked, create a review board to respond to revocations and denials, and make other significant changes to make the process more efficient.

PEORIA– State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is announcing that Peoria County school districts will receive over $115 million in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Making sure that our educators and our school districts have the necessary resources is absolutely vital,” Koehler said. “Teachers and students have worked together to adapt to a new way of learning, and it is our job as legislators to support them in that endeavor however we can.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Peoria County school districts are set to receive the following amounts:

• Peoria SD 150 - $98,210,513
• Peoria Heights CUSD 325 - $3,227,140
• Pleasant Valley SD 62 - $4,114,907

With other schools in the county receiving just over $10 million in total.

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“I’m very pleased that schools in Central Illinois and all across the state will be receiving a much-needed and well-deserved helping hand during these difficult times,” Koehler said.

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.

SPRINGFIELD – Disabled veterans, returning service members and those who are terminally ill would not need to get a trapping license under a plan by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that advanced out of the Senate Agriculture Committee Thursday.

Koehler is the sponsor of Senate Bill 1533, which provides a trapping license exemption for those groups.

PEORIA – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is celebrating the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Rock the FAFSA” week in an effort to encourage students in the 46^th District and across the state to take advantage of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

“With the cost of higher education becoming less affordable with every passing year, it’s important that students considering college make use of this great option,” said Koehler. “FAFSA makes college more attainable, and I highly encourage all students to take the fullest advantage of this program.”

PEORIA – Peoria County is set to receive over $1 million in funding for construction projects over the next three years, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced today.

“The Peoria area will see jobs for the next few years and reliable infrastructure long into the future as a result of this funding,” said Koehler. “Good infrastructure is the foundation we build the future on.”

PEORIA – Tazewell County is set to receive over $800,000 in funding for construction projects over the next three years, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced today.

“Not only will this investment create jobs for hardworking individuals in the area for the next few years, but it will also ensure that we have reliable infrastructure in our community for years to come,” said Koehler.

PEORIA – State Senator Dave Koehler will participate in a subject matter hearing of the Senate Labor Committee this week to learn about the status of several unemployment insurance issues plaguing the Illinois Department of Employment Security over the last year. The unprecedented flood of claims during the COVID-19 crisis, when more than 1 million Illinoisans lost their jobs, overwhelmed the department.

“Issues with our unemployment benefits system have plagued the Department of Employment Security since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Koehler said. “It is not the goal of the committee to publicly scold the department or its employees, who have been working around the clock for those in dire need. But at some point we need concrete answers regarding what is being done to fix our broken system. It is my hope that this committee hearing will serve as a progress report on those issues from the department’s representatives.”