Koehler applauds investments in education and workforce development

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler supported the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which prioritizes early childhood and higher education, as well as infrastructure and workforce development.

“This budget is a win for our universities and community colleges,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “By providing the largest higher education funding increase in two decades, we are ensuring our students can afford to go to college and pursue their dreams.”

The budget will invest in a new program – SMART Start Illinois – a multi-year program to prepare children to be lifelong learners. This program includes funding for the Illinois State Board of Education Early Childhood Block Grant. The budget increases Monetary Award Program funding, as well as the Minority Teacher Scholarship Program.

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Senator Koehler passes initiative to prohibit price gouging of medication

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.”

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-patent and generic drugs.

“It’s time we hold these companies accountable for what should be considered robbery,” said Koehler. “We should not be allowing these companies to skyrocket their prices to the point people are unable to afford medication they desperately need.”

House Bill 3957 passed the Senate Wednesday.

Koehler measure to prohibit price gouging of generic drugs

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.

Senate approves legislation by Koehler to protect survivors of sexual assault

SPRINGFIELD – Sexual assault awareness groups celebrated a major victory on Thursday. State Senator Dave Koehler passed a measure through the Senate to make survivors feel more comfortable receiving care by allowing them to choose to delay reporting.

“The most important thing we can do for survivors of sexual assault is make them feel safe,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Many survivors know who assaulted them personally. By giving survivors the choice of when and how they would like to report their case to the authorities, we are giving them the ability to safely seek justice.”

Senate Bill 333 would allow survivors of sexual assault who are 13 years or older to give or refuse consent to notify the police immediately. If they refuse, the police will be notified after the patient has left the treatment location, or after 24 hours. If a sexual assault survivor does not consent to notification being made and only consents to the collection of evidence, the health care provider must make the notification in accordance with the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. The measure would also allow the patient to protect his or her identity in the police report.

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