“SB 3015 will help children even more by allowing backup inhalers to be kept at the school, similar to EpiPens.” - Statew Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria)

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed legislation today to protect students with asthma by allowing their schools to keep backup inhalers on hand.

The measure, Senate bill 3015, would allow school nurses or other personnel to administer asthma medication that is registered in the name of a school district, public school, charter school or nonpublic school to a person in respiratory distress. Similar laws already apply to life-saving EpiPens, which are applied to combat severe allergic reactions.

State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said the legislation will help build on the progress the state has made thus far in combating asthma.

“Illinois has made great strides in helping children with asthma attend school without the fear that their school will be unprepared for an inevitable asthma attack,” Koehler said “SB 3015 will help children even more by allowing backup inhalers to be kept at the school, similar to EpiPens.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health, approximately 8.4 percent of children in the United States and 13.6 percent of children in Illinois currently have asthma. Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism with an estimated 13.8 million school days missed due to asthma in the United States in 2014 alone.

“Forcing our transit workers to negotiate when and if they can use the restroom endangers both the health of the driver and the safety of their passengers.” - State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria)

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation guaranteeing that mass transit workers are allowed to take bathroom breaks while on duty passed the Senate Transportation Committee today.

Senate Bill 2210 would guarantee up to ten minutes of restroom breaks for every four hours worked by a transit worker. The legislation would also guarantee the workers are not docked any pay for taking the break.

State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) introduced the legislation after discussing it with transit workers affiliated with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 416.

Peoria’s CityLink, the operator of the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, attempted to use bathroom breaks as leverage against the members of ATU Local 416 during their last collective bargaining agreement negotiations, and Koehler said this new measure would prevent bathroom breaks from being held hostage for worker concessions.

“Being able to use take a bathroom break is about two things: public safety and dignity,” Koehler said. “Forcing our transit workers to negotiate when and if they can use the restroom endangers both the health of the driver and the safety of their passengers.”

The measure now goes to the Senate floor for consideration.

“This legislation can bring some transparency and accountability to the process which will allow people to make informed decisions and protect themselves.” - State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria)

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation that brings transparency to the fracking process passed a key senate committee today.

Senate Bill 3174, sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), would require the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to post drilling reports from fracking sites within 30 days of receiving them. The legislation also requires the operators of the wells to provide a list of chemicals being used in drilling and the GPS coordinates of their wells.

Koehler said the bill is about letting landowners know what’s going on in their backyard.

“People who live near these fracking operations should be able to know what is happening on the properties that in some cases border their own,” Koehler said. “This legislation can bring some transparency and accountability to the process which will allow people to make informed decisions and protect themselves.”

The legislation awaits final action in the senate.

PEORIA – The first new payments from Illinois’ recently passed public school funding reforms will be released this month, completing a years-long effort to change the state’s antiquated school funding mechanism.

The first payments will be distributed to the schools with greatest need, and more than $7 million in new funds will be coming to local school districts in the 46th Legislative District for an average of more than $175 per pupil. Peoria School District 150 sees the greatest total increase with more than $2.5 million in new funds and Limestone Community High School District 310 sees the greatest per pupil funding increase with $590 for every student.

State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said these dollars are the first step in fixing a generational issue that has plagued poorer school districts throughout Illinois.

“Illinois’ previous funding formula distributed money in such an unfair manner that school districts across our state were left behind,” Koehler said. “This new formula can help us reverse that trend and see new investments in the schools that need in the most.”

The bipartisan legislation was signed into law by the governor last year after months of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans.