SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Majority Leader Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) congratulated former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Congressman Ray LaHood today after his appointment to serve as the Chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Directors.

“Secretary LaHood has demonstrated his exceptional, bipartisan leadership qualities time and time again over the course of a 36-year career in public service, with 19 of those years being spent in service of Peoria and Central Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Koehler said. “I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Ray LaHood and I look forward to seeing what he will be able to accomplish in his new role.”

LaHood’s appointment is now pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler joined with colleagues for a press conference today highlighting a solution to counter the skyrocketing cost of prescription insulin.

“For far too long pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to take advantage of people who require this medication to live, and it’s unacceptable,” Koehler (D-Peoria) said. “Working to ease the financial burden on families who require prescription insulin is the humane thing to do.”

Senate Bill 667 would cap out of pocket insulin expenses at $100 for a 30-day supply.

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are over 30 million Americans who have diabetes, with 7.4 million of them who require prescription insulin to survive. The increasing cost of the medication has forced many of these patients to choose between purchasing vital medication and other financial obligations.

“There shouldn’t be a choice to make in the first place,” Koehler said. “Those who suffer from diabetes should be able to acquire the necessary prescription medication without it breaking the bank.”