SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler is spearheading an initiative to incentivize landlords to improve properties and address urban decay in the greater Peoria area, giving residents improved housing opportunities throughout the community.

“Peoria has seen a rapid decline in population recently, leading to vacant properties and businesses closing their doors,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “In order to keep our families here, we need to invest in our neighborhoods.”

Under current law, only newly built single family homes and duplexes qualify for a tax break. Senate Bill 2936 would allow remodeled homes and duplexes in areas of urban decay to qualify for this tax break, giving landlords an incentive to upgrade properties in order to revitalize neighborhoods.

“This bill gives our community the tools to bolster our economy, provide adequate housing and present new opportunities for our residents,” said Koehler. “I am proud to call Peoria my home, and I want everyone in our community to feel the same way I do about our city.”

Senate Bill 2936 passed the Senate Revenue Committee on Wednesday and heads to the Senate floor for further discussion.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) issued the following statement after hearing the governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget:

“There are many investments in this proposed budget that I believe would be of a tremendous service to our communities in Peoria and the Bloomington-Normal area. The continuation in our commitment to workforce training and higher education reflects the qualities that make our area a great place to live, learn and work.

“The proposed increases to higher education continues our investment in our students and sends a message to families that we are fighting for the community colleges and universities in our backyard. People from all over the state come to our district to enroll in our schools. This proposal continues to reinforce the opportunities that our local universities and community colleges present in downstate Illinois.

“Families across Peoria and Bloomington-Normal deserve a budget with sound judgement. We have taken great strides to make our state fiscally responsible, including nine credit upgrades and $2 billion saved in our rainy day fund. I look forward working with my colleagues to present our own budget that will continue this effort.”

SPRINGFIELD – A new law from State Senator Dave Koehler will prevent drug manufacturers and distributors from spiking the cost of generic medicine.

“Every Illinoisan deserves affordable access to necessary medication,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This law prevents companies from robbing residents just for an extra buck.”

House Bill 3957 creates the Illinois Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act, which prohibits price gouging of essential off-patent and generic medication.

“We need to take a stand for our residents and prohibit companies from these manipulative schemes,” said Koehler. “There should never be a situation when someone has to decide between picking up their medication or groceries for their family.”

House Bill 3957 takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents who are victims of fertility fraud will soon be able to bring action against health care providers, thanks to a new law from State Senator Dave Koehler.

When Bloomington resident Curt Richardson got his DNA test results back from Ancestry.com in June 2021, his life – and those of his parents – changed forever when they learned they had been victims of fertility fraud.

Richardson’s story is similar to hundreds of others across the state and nation who have lived most of their lives thinking the very people who raised them were their biological parents. Koehler worked to bring awareness to fertility fraud and provide justice to the families who fall victim to the heinous act.

“The pain a person feels when they find out they are victims of fertility fraud is something no one should have to go through,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “These acts have gone unpunished for too long, and the health care professionals who commit such acts deserve to face dire consequences.”

Fertility fraud occurs when a health care provider knowingly or intentionally uses their own human reproductive cells during an assisted reproductive treatment without the patient’s informed written consent.

Koehler’s new law allows people to bring action against health care providers who commit fertility fraud. It provides a civil cause of action for donor fertility fraud against health care providers who treat patients for infertility using donated human reproductive material without consent. It also states that any child born as a result of fertility fraud is entitled to a qualified protective order allowing the child access to the personal medical records and health history of the person who committed the fraud.

“This crime has caused trauma for countless families across Illinois and the country,” said Koehler. “Under this new law, victims will be able to bring action against those who commit this heinous crime.”

Senate Bill 380 takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.