SPRINGFIELD – Advocating for environmental protections, protecting family farms, supporting working families and strengthening organized labor are major priorities for State Senator Dave Koehler, who was sworn in to his seventh term Wednesday.

“I am humbled to represent the people of the greater Peoria and Bloomington-Normal areas, and I do not take the trust and responsibility of this position lightly,” said Koehler. “I will continue to work to earn their trust and fight for the needs of the community.”

PEORIA – The City of Bloomington and Pleasure Driveway Park in Peoria both received a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant to help continue its ongoing improvements to Recreation Park, thanks to strong support from State Senator Dave Koehler.

“Parks are essential for our physical and mental health, providing open space for us to connect with each other and enjoy Illinois’ natural beauty,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This funding will help maintain our community’s wonderful parks —bringing people together for years to come.”

For the third year in a row, Koehler supported funding for economically distressed communities, resulting in 29 underserved locations receiving $17.3 million in grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program.

NORMAL – State Senator Dave Koehler joined the Illinois Capital Development Board and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in announcing millions in in funding to improve health outcomes, including over $20 million in funding to an organization serving the district he represents.

“Young people deserve access to high-quality health care, including specialized services like behavioral health or psychiatry, no matter their ZIP code,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). This investment will greater health outcomes for young people in our community.”

The Healthcare Transformation Capital Improvement grants will build on HFS’ equity-driven Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program, which was established in 2021. The goals of the HTC program are to expand access to care and improve health equity, especially in underserved communities, by leveraging shared resources among collaborative partners to create locally-driven solutions.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler and the members of the Underground Railroad Task Force put forth their statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while establishing new educational and tourism opportunities.

“Despite nationwide efforts to restrict education about our country’s history of racism, Illinois remains committed to shining a light on our past so we can move forward,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “Our bipartisan initiative will shed light on Illinois’ historic ties to the Underground Railroad, and honor the brave individuals who fought against slavery and oppression so many years ago.” 

The task force – created through legislation led by Koehler – has spent the last year meeting to devise a strategy for sharing, growing and celebrating the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois.