SPRINGFIELD – Penicillium rubens, a strain of penicillium discovered in Peoria, will officially be Illinois’ state microbe thanks to legislation sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), signed into law Tuesday.

“The discovery of penicillium rubens in Peoria saved countless lives during World War II, and has saved many since,” Koehler said. “By making it our official microbe, we ensure that the story of P. rubens will be intertwined in our state history for generations to come.”

AURORA – A longtime advocate of giving responsible gun owners a more modernized approach to obtaining firearm identification, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) championed a law to streamline the FOID card process while keeping guns away from people who pose a threat to themselves or the community. 

"Responsible gun owners across the state have been fighting a backlog of FOID card applications for years," Koehler said. "When the Illinois State Police has to spend time and resources on addressing the backlog, they aren't able to appropriately prioritize keeping our communities safe from gun violence."

Under the new law, the FOID card renewal process will be expedited for safe and responsible gun owners in an effort to reduce hassle and prevent future backlogs. Lawful gun owners will additionally find it easier to keep their FOID cards and concealed carry licenses on them at all times through a new electronic option that will be made available for both documents.

"The law signed today streamlines the FOID card process for lawful and responsible gun owners in Illinois while closing loopholes that allow firearms to fall into dangerous hands," Koehler said. "Today is the first step toward having a safe and effective FOID system here in Illinois.”

House Bill 562 was signed into law Monday and will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.

###

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents will have their right to grow vegetable gardens protected thanks to legislation presented by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that was signed into law Friday.

“Every Illinoisan should have the option to grow their own food and increase their self-sufficiency without unnecessary oversight or regulations,” Koehler said. “I’m glad to see this legislation signed into law as I know it will expand options for people across the state when it comes to providing for themselves and their families.”

PEORIA – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced an expanded state program will help connect Peoria-area small businesses to financial assistance to help them recover from COVID-19.

“Our community is built on small businesses,” Koehler said. “They were hit hardest by the pandemic, and we need to make sure that they have the resources they need to recover and move forward.”

The community navigator outreach program, which helps connect small businesses to economic recovery grant programs, is expanding to include an additional 13 support organizations across the state, which were selected through a competitive process.

Navigator organizations will perform extensive outreach to small and hard-to-reach businesses to ensure that they are aware of the relief available to them, and will provide one-on-one assistance on relief grant applications.

“I would like to thank the Economic Development Council for the Peoria Area and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation for stepping up and being a resource to small businesses in the Peoria area,” Koehler said. “I want to see as many local entrepreneurs as possible get back on their feet.”

Small businesses can visit the DCEO website or call (800) 252-2923 to learn more about recovery programs available to them.

SPRINGFIELD – An initiative sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) to address the backlog of FOID card applications, which negatively affects responsible gun owners, passed out of the House on Wednesday.

“The backlog of FOID applications creates unnecessary hassles for responsible gun owners—a concern which has been raised to me by many people,” Koehler said. “It also creates extra work for the Illinois State Police, whose first priority should be keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others.”

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that would allow school districts to conduct district wide e-learning days when schools are used as polling places passed the Senate Monday.

“This legislation empowers both our schools and our democracy,” Koehler said. “Students will not have to sacrifice education when school buildings must be closed for use as polling places, and our polling places will, in turn be more accessible.”

The legislation allows for school districts to conduct district wide e-learning days when schools are used as polling places. If a school district elects to use e-learning days, all contractors who provide education support services to the district would receive regular rate of pay or billings.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) co-sponsored legislation lowering trailer registration fees from $118 to $36 that passed out of the Senate on Monday.

“People in my district and all across the state have struggled under disproportionately high trailer registration fees,” Koehler said. “I receive many calls from constituents on this particular issue, and I’m proud to be able to bring their concerns to the table in Springfield.”

The legislation designated all trailers that weigh 3,000 pounds or less “utility trailers” and sets the registration fee for said utility trailers at $36. This applies only to trailers primarily for personal use. If signed into law, the bill would also repeal the $10,000 cap on the trade-in vehicle sales tax credit and increase the private vehicle tax by $75 for each model year where the purchase price is less than $15,000 and $100 if the purchase price is above $15,000.

SPRINGFIELD – All across this state, law-abiding gun owners have fallen victim to a bureaucratic backlog to renew their FOID cards—an issue that State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) aims to fix with FOID modernization legislation that he passed out of the Senate on Monday.

“One of the biggest obstacles we face with the FOID system is the enormous backlog of applications,” Koehler said. “There has to be a compromise between having a safe and effective system without making the process unnecessarily difficult for gun owners who have proven themselves to be safe and responsible. I think that this legislation accommodates both of those objectives.”

The bill seeks to protect communities by enhancing existing background checks as a means to more effectively ensure that firearms are kept out of the wrong hands. For gun owners who have proven themselves to not be dangerous, the legislation would offer the option to apply for an automatically-renewing FOID card with the voluntary submission of fingerprints. FOID cards and concealed carry licenses would also be condensed into one document and electronic copies would be made available, making it easier for gun owners to keep their license with them at any given time.