Koehler was on the
Peoria County Board from 1982 to 1988, and
Peoria City Council from 1989 to 1997. While on the city council, he was mayor
pro tem for two years. In early 2010, Koehler and other lawmakers called for the elimination of the position of
Illinois Lieutenant Governor.
Sheila Simon was selected by the Democratic State Central Committee instead, and won the election. During the
96th Illinois General Assembly, Koehler was the
chair of the Local Government Committee and of the Subcommittee on Fertilizers and Chemicals (of the Agriculture and Conservation Committee). He is also Vice-Chair of the Energy Committee. In the
97th General Assembly, he was once again chair of the Local Government Committee and chair of vice-chair of the Energy Committee. Koehler was reelected to a fourth term in 2016. In 2018,
J. B. Pritzker appointed Koehler to Powering Illinois’ Future transition committee, which is responsible for infrastructure and clean energy policies. He defeated
Mary Burress in the 2020 general election, winning a fifth term in the Illinois State Senate. In March 2022, Koehler served as the lead sponsor of House Bill 4089, which required Illinois school districts to provide plant-based lunch options compliant with federal nutrition mandates to students who submit a prior request to the district. Koehler stated the proposal's intention was to accommodate diverse religious, cultural, and health needs. In May 2022, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law. As of July 2022, Senator Koehler is a member of the following Illinois Senate committee: • Agriculture Committee (SAGR) • (Chairman of) Appropriations - Agriculture, Environment & Energy Committee (SAPP-SAAE) • Appropriations - Health Committee (SAPP-SAHA) • Appropriations Committee (SAPP) • Education Committee (SESE) • Energy and Public Utilities Committee (SENE) • Health Committee (SHEA) • Labor Committee (SLAB) • (Co-chairman of) Labor - Special Issues Committee (SLAB-SLSI) • Redistricting - East Central and Southeastern Illinois Committee (SRED-SRSE) • Redistricting - Northern Illinois Committee (SRED-SRNI) • (Chairman of) Redistricting - West Central Illinois Committee (SRED-SRWC) • Subcommittee on Next Generation Nuclear (SENE-SNGN) • Subcommittee on Managed Care Organizations (SHEA-SMCO) • (Chairman of) Subcommittee on Public Health (SHEA-SHPH) ==References==