PEORIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday the largest multi-year program in state history to fix and repair roads throughout the state. State Senator Dave Koehler was pleased to see that $243.5 million in investments will directly impact Peoria and Tazewell Counties.

“Projects like these not only make roads safer for our community, but they also provide job opportunities in the area that we haven’t seen before,” said Koehler (D–Peoria). “These investments are a win for residents, truckers, cyclists and Peoria and Tazewell Counties as a whole.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler passed a law to highlight future career opportunities for children living with disabilities.

“Children living with disabilities and their families often feel as if there aren’t many job opportunities after graduation,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). This new law will empower children living with disabilities with opportunities to be successful in our state’s workforce.”

Under House Bill 3224, students with individualized education plans – or IEPs – and their parents will be provided information on the school district’s career and technical education and dual credit opportunities.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler passed a measure to create awareness of the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois.

“Illinois played a significant role towards the path of freedom that has usually gone unnoticed,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “This task force will bring to light the efforts Illinoisans went through to help slaves on their journey, and map the route across the state.”

Senate Bill 1623 creates the Underground Railroad Task Force. The group will develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while developing new educational and tourism opportunities.

The task force will identify where historical sites are located, connections they may have to one another, and will paint a picture to recognize the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois. It will also introduce educational and tourism opportunities throughout the state.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler passed an initiative to prohibit price gouging of essential medication.

“Medication should be affordable for all Illinoisans,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “This legislation addresses the schemes companies will go through to churn a profit off of someone’s health.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler is leading an initiative to prohibit price gouging of essential medication.

“People shouldn’t have to burn a hole in their wallets to receive the medication they need,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “This legislation will ensure that every Illinoisan has access to medication at a fair price.”

House Bill 3957 creates the Illinois Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act, which would prohibit manufacturers and distributors from engaging in price gouging of essential off-patient and generic drugs.

“It’s time we hold these companies accountable for what should be considered robbery,” said Koehler. “Medication shouldn’t be priced at ridiculous rates to the point where people are turned away.”

House Bill 3957 passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday. It now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler led a measure through the Senate to remove vital records fees for survivors of domestic violence.

“We should be protecting domestic violence survivors, not forcing them to pay unnecessary fees,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “It’s our job to lend them a hand rather than ask them to pull out their wallets.”

House Bill 2841 would remove the fees associated with services of vital records done by the State Registrar for survivors of domestic violence. The fee for a search of vital records is $10 per application currently and includes the files on birth, death, and fetal death. These records can be used to dissolve marriages and civil unions, receive information on the birth of a child, unexpected miscarriages and for genealogical purposes.

“The last thing anyone wants is for these survivors to be turned away because they can’t afford these records,” said Koehler. “By eliminating these fees, we are giving survivors better access to the resources they need.”

House Bill 2841 passed the Senate Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler championed a measure to highlight future career opportunities for children with disabilities.

“This measure helps families and children with disabilities see the career options that are available to them,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Every child deserves additional opportunities outside the classroom.”

Individualized education plans – or IEPs – are plans that describe education instruction, support and services that students with disabilities are entitled to receive. Under House Bill 3224, students with IEPs and their parents would be provided information on the school district’s career and technical education and dual credit opportunities.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler led an initiative to provide fair and equal insurance coverage for cancer treatment using proton beam therapy.

“Cancer patients deserve the best treatment available to them,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “As health technology advances, so should our insurance coverage policies.”

Proton beam therapy is an advanced cancer radiation therapy that uses focused beams that targets nearly the exact depth and location of cancerous cells in the body to deliver more dose to the tumor and less to the surrounding healthy tissue. House Bill 2799 would prohibit insurers from applying a higher standard for coverage of proton beam therapy than it would for any other form of treatment.