SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) to expand the venues where home-cooked food operations may sell their products passed the Senate on Sunday.

“Not only will this legislation provide home cooks with the opportunity to earn additional income, but it will help to preserve traditions and small bits of history in our communities through the sharing of recipes and dishes that may have been passed down for generations,” Koehler said.

Cottage food operations are vendors that prepare products in a kitchen in a primary domestic residence. Senate Bill 2007 permits cottage food operations to sell their products at farmers’ markets, fairs, festivals or public events, as well as online. If signed into law, this legislation would require these producers to submit recipes and food safety plans to local public health departments in order to be permitted to sell their products to the public. It also sets a framework for the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide statewide guidance on how to regulate cottage foods to local health departments.

"We should be doing everything we can to help to create more income opportunities for our residents," Koehler said. "This legislation has the potential to benefit many families in my district and around the state, and I'm very pleased to have it pass."

SB 2007 passed the Senate with 59 votes.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that would ensure that special education students in Illinois are able to complete their schooling passed out of the Senate on Wednesday.

“Students all across Illinois have faced significant challenges over the last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Koehler said. “It is no different for special education students, except that an interrupted school year may mean that they are unable to finish their education under current regulations.”

Current legislation states that students with disabilities may attend public school up to the day before their 22^nd birthday. At that point, regardless of when that is in the school year, they are no longer eligible. This legislation would allow students who turned 22 between March 17, 2020 and the end of the 2021-2022 school year who faced 3 or more months of COVID-related interruptions to their education to finish their school year.

“Students of all ages and abilities deserve the same opportunities when it comes to their education,” Koehler said.

House Bill 2748 passed out of the Senate with 56 votes.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) pledged to continue work on his initiative to demand that excessive profits received by Managed Care Organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic be returned to the state.

“As we begin to move into a post-COVID-19 world, we’re seeing that managed care organizations brought in record-breaking profits while many communities across the state struggled to receive basic care and necessary resources during the pandemic,” Koehler said. “If we are able to reallocate excess profits from these companies, we can help hospitals stay open and keep providing lifesaving care in our low-income and rural communities.”

The legislation was filed in response to decreased health care service use during the period where elective surgeries and procedures were postponed. Decreased use resulted in MCOs paying fewer claims and therefore retaining unprecedented amounts of enrollment-based profit, the scope of which was revealed via a Better Government Association investigation. Those wishing to read more about the results of the investigation can visit the BGA’s website.

Koehler was joined in this initiative by State Representative Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates), who introduced identical legislation in the House.

Koehler intends to request continued hearings on SB 455.

PEORIA – Central Illinois communities will see nearly $40 million in funding for road and bridge projects in 2022 as part of the latest Multi-Year Plan under the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Rebuild Illinois initiative, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced Friday.

“Our communities stand to benefit greatly from investment of this scale,” Koehler said. “Not only will these projects invigorate our economy and create good-paying jobs, but they will ensure safer commutes for our residents and generally benefit everyone who drives on our roads, crosses our bridges, or walks on our sidewalks.”

The funding comes as an installment of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan which aims to promote economic growth and reliable infrastructure throughout the state. This Multi-Year Plan will invest $20.7 billion in over 2,700 miles of roads and nearly 8 million square feet of bridges across Illinois over the span of the next six years.

The roughly $40 million being dedicated to the 46^th District will fund 19 projects slated to begin next year. The list of projects includes a great deal of work in regards to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities act, the repair or reconstruction of several bridges, additional lanes, new sidewalks, and improved intersections throughout the district. Most notably, long awaited repairs will begin on Route 24 and Galena Road.

Significant repairs that will begin in 2022 include:

• $1 million worth of repairs to Route 24
• 14 miles of repairs to I-474 worth $24 million
• Upgrades to the US 150 bridge over the Illinois River worth more than $3 million
• Upgrades worth $2 million on the IL 8 / IL 116 bridge in East Peoria

Those interested can find a comprehensive list of projects slated for the 46^th District on IDOT’s website.