Peoria Standard

In a recent Facebook post, Illinois state Rep. Travis Weaver (R-Edwards) discussed bringing in a prayer leader to open a legislative session.

"Last week, I had the opportunity of welcoming Valerie Moehle, from the First United Methodist Church of Pekin, onto the House floor to lead us in prayer before we started session for the day," Weaver said in the April 6 post. "Her words brought us closer to God, and act as a reminder about the importance of forgiveness, community, and faith. Thank you, Valerie!"

Weaver’s post also contained a link to a video of the prayer posted on his website.

In an April 4 release on his website, Weaver provided updates on several pieces of legislation he has sponsored that have moved unanimously through the House. One of those was House Bill 2274, which broadens pathways for individuals to become speech-language pathology assistants. The bill expands requirements to not only allow those with associate degrees to be assistants, it also allow those with a bachelor’s degree in the field to be licensed.

Another piece of legislation was House Bill 3590, which favors hands-on apprenticeship and job training for high school and community college students. This bill forms the Student Career Development Liability Insurance Advisory Committee, which would make recommendations to the General Assembly and the governor about providing liability insurance to students and teachers so that they can receive the training they need to be successful.

Weaver also visited the Black Hawk College East Campus during their Ag Day, which brought prospective high school students to learn more about the school.

"My Director of Education and Agriculture Outreach, Dr. Kristen Strom, and I spent part of Spring Recess touring Black Hawk College East Campus for their ag day, where prospective high school students can come tour the campus, learn about classes, and decide on if they want to attend the school," he said in an April 11 news release. "Thank you so much for having us!!"

Weaver is a lifelong Illinois resident and freshman representative serving the 93rd District in the state House of Representatives, his website biography said. He was born and raised in Peoria County, where he graduated from Dunlap High School before going on to earn his BA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Alabama and his MBA from Northwestern University. Weaver worked in finance and strategy roles with the Caterpillar construction equipment company while also investing and serving in an executive role in multiple local startup businesses.