SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler's plan to make it a crime for a police dispatcher to tip off a criminal that law enforcement is nearby passed the Illinois General Assembly.

In 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that it's not a crime for a 911 dispatcher to let a drug dealer – or other criminal – know that police are in the area. The court called the case "troubling" and the defendant's actions "unjustifiable," but found nothing in Illinois law making such behavior illegal.

"911 dispatchers are an important part of our criminal justice system," Koehler said. "They should be held to the same high standards as law enforcement officers and prosecutors."

In 1998, a police dispatcher tipped off a local drug dealer that law enforcement officials were in the area near his house in the Chicago suburbs. The Cook County State's Attorney charged her with official misconduct. The trial court found her guilty and sentenced her to two years of probation and 250 hours of community service.

However, the 911 dispatcher appealed the verdict. The appellate court ruled that nothing in Illinois law allowed her to be charged with official misconduct. The local police department had every right to fire her, but she hadn't broken any Illinois law. In 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court agreed.

Koehler's proposal, Senate Bill 2695, would expand the definition the definition of official misconduct to make it a Class 3 felony for a dispatcher – or anyone in a similar position – to warn a criminal that law enforcement is nearby or on the way.

The crime of official misconduct already covers a wide variety of corrupt acts by public employees, including accepting bribes and misusing one's authority for personal gain. The penalty for a Class 3 felony is two to five years in prison.

The legislation, sponsored by Representative Michael Unes (R-Pekin) in the House, now goes to the governor for his approval.

State Senator Dave Koehler is sponsoring a plan that will make it easier for farmers and other vendors to sell their products at farmers markets throughout the state.

Under Illinois' current law, local health departments set the rules for buying and selling food at farmers markets, which has resulted in a hodge-podge of conflicting regulations. Koehler's plan would allow the Illinois Department of Public Health to establish a single set of regulations for the entire state.

"Many farmers want to sell their fresh produce in communities all over Illinois," Koehler said. "But current farmers market regulations are confusing. What's legal in one community might be forbidden by another just a few miles down the road. Creating a single statewide set of rules will make it much easier for farmers to meet the increasing demand for locally grown food."

State Senator Dave Koehler believes that communities like Pekin, East Peoria, Washington and Gifford shouldn't have to shoulder the entire cost of cleaning up after the deadly tornadoes that tore through central Illinois last fall.

He is proposing a new law that allows the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to reimburse local governments in state disaster areas for the costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures. Though many homes and businesses in the affected communities were damaged or destroyed, the federal government chose not to provide financial assistance, leaving local governments to pick up the entire cost of these services on their own.

"The people who live in these communities relied on their local governments to clean up after these storms and help make their towns habitable again," Koehler said. "Clean-up work is expensive, though, and now the bills are coming due. At the same time, the tornado damage has reduced the tax base in those communities. They're facing serious budget challenges."

“We have difficult decisions to make this year. Vital programs like K-12 education, financial aid for college students, and important programs for seniors, people with developmental disabilities and others all face major cuts.

“I was glad to see the governor lay out a strategy to address our problems. We’re all going to have to work together to do what’s best for the people of Illinois this year.”