SPRINGFIELD – To provide a voice for Downstate Illinois in the recovery process, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) has been appointed to the Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission, a group tasked with addressing public health and economic challenges as the state continues the reopening process.

“A safe reopening of Illinois will require input from a broad group of individuals,” Koehler said. “I’m honored to have been chosen to help lead as we continue toward the recovery of our state’s economy. I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner with my colleagues in the Senate and House to ensure a smooth recovery process.”

The Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission will enable cooperation between the legislative and executive branches in dealing with the public health and economic crises caused by COVID-19. The commission will work closely with the Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity on plans to revive the various sectors of the Illinois economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commission is made up of 14 members drawn from both political parties and both chambers of the General Assembly. Members of the commission will serve without compensation.

DCEO will provide a written report to the commission and the General Assembly every month regarding the status of current and proposed recovery efforts, with metrics and other information to monitor the state’s progress. The first report will be delivered July 1.

The Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission was created by Senate Bill 2135.

PEORIA– Vote by mail legislation signed into law today will provide Illinoisans with a safe way to participate in the upcoming November election, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said.

“It’s important to take into account the sense of unease brought on by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Koehler, who supported Senate Bill 1863. “Those who express hesitation about congregating in large groups deserve to have their concerns recognized. Providing increased access to the vote is a simple way to provide some peace of mind.”

Under Senate Bill 1863 any person who has voted in the past two years — in the 2018 General Election, 2019 Consolidated Election or 2020 Primary Election — would receive an application for a vote by mail ballot in their mailbox. It can then be filled out and mailed to your election commission or will include instructions for making the request electronically.

Voters can still go the polls on Election Day, which the legislation makes a state holiday in 2020.

“Our goal is, as always, to encourage as many people as possible to exercise their right to vote,” Koehler said. “This legislation provides a safe, secure means of doing so this November.”

This legislation is effective immediately.

PEORIA – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) offered the following statement in response to the governor’s approval of the state budget for the upcoming year:

“COVID-19 has presented our state with unprecedented challenges to which there are no easy solutions,” Koehler said. “When I returned to Springfield last month to pass a budget for the upcoming year, it was clear we needed to take swift, substantive action to preserve our local businesses and alleviate some of the hardship so many of our residents are facing at this moment.”

The state’s budget for the upcoming year includes:

• $400 million for local health departments;
• $250 million in CARES Act funding for downstate local governments;
• More than $200 million set aside to help businesses affected by COVID-19 in downstate communities;
• Nearly $80 million for rent and mortgage assistance for people affected by COVID-19 in downstate communities;
• Nearly $60 million in additional funding for the Department of Employment Security to help address the challenges with the unemployment system;
• $10 million for mental health and substance abuse treatment related to COVID-19 in downstate communities.

“While we have certainly been presented with an unfortunate situation, this is the sort of moment in which the legislature is supposed to step up and do what is right by those who we represent,” Koehler said. “This budget adequately uses the resources we have available to us at the state level to meet our immediate needs without sacrificing vital services.”

SPRINGFIELD – As Illinois begins the next phase of its recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, property owners will see meaningful financial relief under legislation spearheaded by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) which was signed into law today.

"The State of Illinois has just begun to implement measures to aid working families and small businesses while they persevere through a harsh reality,” Koehler said. “In my view, implementing property tax relief is one of the most beneficial actions we can take on behalf of our residents, and I’m proud to have worked alongside colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address this issue.”

Under this legislation, local businesses and residents would see property tax relief in the form of:

• Empowering county governments to approve 2020 homestead exemptions for those with disabilities, veterans with disabilities and senior citizens, as long as the property had been granted this exemption for 2019
• Allowing counties with less than 3 million residents to waive interest penalties and fees for late property tax payments due in 2020
• Deferred property tax sales

“Providing some leeway on property tax payments is a natural place to start, but we have more to accomplish,” Koehler said. “People are hurting in every sense of the word, and it is our moral obligation to provide assistance wherever possible.”

This legislation is effective immediately.