Peoria Standard

Illinois state Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) recently gave students in the Land of Lincoln CEO program the chance to see what happens in the state legislature and at her office.

Turner, who's served in the state senate since 2021, shared pictures from the students' visit in an April 14 Facebook post.

"I had the opportunity to meet with students from this year's Land of Lincoln CEO program to discuss issues currently going through the Legislature and the impact government can have on businesses," Turner wrote in the post.

The Land of Lincoln CEO program shared details about the students' day with Turner in a Facebook post, too.  The post stated, "State Senator Sally Turner spends a great deal of time listening to constituents, and CEO students appreciated her taking the time to talk with them. After touring her office in Lincoln, Senator Turner started the conversation by asking students about their individual businesses and our upcoming trade show (happening April 26). The team also got an inside look at what happens in the Illinois Senate and her office. Senator Turner makes an effort to reach out across the aisle, connect with people in her district, and sponsor bills that she feels will best serve Illinois. Senator Turner also shared ways that people can stay informed about the happenings of the Illinois legislature. ilga.gov is a great resource to be able to see all issues coming before and passing through the Illinois General Assembly. And people should feel free to contact their elected officials to discuss governmental concerns or propose legislative solutions to problems. Thank you to Senator Turner and Legislative Aide Casie Blue for hosting CEO!"

The Land of Lincoln CEO program aims to prepare youths and others to become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers and to contribute to economic development and sustainable communities, according to the program's website. It gives students real life experiences to learn from, including opportunities to take risks and manage the results.

The program isn't new. In 2019, participants delivered donations of $500 to the Rotary Club, a food pantry, and the Humane Society. According to the Herald News, "this money was raised through the students’ big business project during the 2018-2019 school year."