Flooding from recent rains has ravaged areas in Peoria, Tazewell and Fulton counties, where many residents have found their homes and businesses damaged or destroyed by high water. State Senator Dave Koehler is joining with the American Red Cross to help victims of flooding by delivering supplies and serving food to those affected.

Koehler will join other volunteers at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 3, at Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria. For more information, please download this flier.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) has passed legislation out of the Illinois Senate that strongly encourages hunters to donate the meat from the game animals they kill if they aren't going to eat it themselves.

"Our state has a very successful program to allow hunters to donate meat when they don't want to eat it themselves," Koehler said. "There's no reason to leave perfectly good food to rot while there are families throughout the state going hungry."

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources operates the highly successful Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, which allows hunters to donate venison and other meat to food banks and other charities throughout Illinois. The program has provided 3.5 million meals to hungry families. To learn more about the program or to find a local participating meat processor, visit www.dnr.illinois.gov.

"I've seen hunters leave three or four partially butchered deer along the road, in view of everyone that drives by. We hope to encourage hunters to donate deer to the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program," said Sergeant Jamie Mauler, who works for the department.

Specifically, Koehler's proposal:

• Prohibits throwing away edible, easily processed meat from game animals that hunters don't want to keep for themselves. This specifically includes unspoiled breast meat of birds and front and back haunches of mammals.
• Prohibits dumping or abandoning the carcasses of animals killed by hunters on public property (or private property without the permission of the owner).
• Establishes that violators of this law can be charged with a Class B Misdemeanor.

State Senator Dave Koehler is donating his food and lodging reimbursement for today’s special session of the General Assembly to the Community Foundation Wholesome Food Fund, which helps low-income families purchase healthy food at the Peoria Farmers Market.

“I’m disappointed that the governor chose to put taxpayers on the hook for thousands of dollars of travel reimbursements for today’s session of the General Assembly when he could have easily gone with a lower-cost alternative,” said Koehler. 

State Senator Dave Koehler is announcing that members of the Illinois Senate will hold a hearing in Peoria to establish clear rules for how restaurants and bars can allow their customers to smoke in outdoor areas.

The issue came to Koehler’s attention when he learned a Peoria-area bar and grill was fined for violating the Smoke Free Illinois act, despite the fact that owners of the establishment worked with the Department of Public Health to make sure they were following the rules.

“We can’t have small businesses work with the state to make sure they are obeying the law, spend thousands of dollars, and then get fined anyway,” Koehler said. 

Here are the details of the Senate hearing:

Who: The Senate Labor Subcommittee on Employment Issues

When: August 15, 2012 at 11 AM

Where: American Red Cross, 311 John Gwynn Jr. Avenue, Peoria

The committee will discuss the issue and consider how to create uniform rules to regulate smoking in outdoor restaurant and bar areas, based on initial legislation drafted by Senator Koehler with the help of Peoria State’s Attorney Jerry Brady.