Fighting for Freedom in Illinois

February 6, 2023
Caulkins Named Minority Spokesman on Two Committees
State Representative Dan Caulkins will be the Republican Minority Spokesman on both the Cybersecurity and Prescription Drug committees during the upcoming session of the 103rd General Assembly. In addition to being the Republican lead on those committees, Rep. Caulkins will also be a voting member of the following committees: Energy, Labor, and Public Utilities. “I look forward to representing constituents across the state. From protecting people online to ensuring they have affordable prescription drugs, the work on these committees is important,” stated Rep. Caulkins. “I am especially pleased to be on both the Energy and Public Utilities committees. We must reverse some of the harmful policies recently passed in Illinois that are creating utility bills three to four times greater than a year ago. This is a result of shutting down coal and natural gas electric generators without a viable alternative. Daily, over 60 percent of the electric energy in our area is produced by coal and natural gas. I will continue to speak out on this issue every chance I get.” Committee work is scheduled to begin on February 7th. 

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Caulkins’ Legislation to Provide Patients Better Access to their Own Medical Records
State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) has introduced his first bill of 2023 to protect Illinois residents by ensuring continuity of care and transparency in their health records. The bill is a response to concerns raised by Garrett Discovery, a digital forensic firm that reported that patients are often unaware that their records have been changed, even after the date of care. “Since 2016 thousands of complaints have been lodged that healthcare providers were restricting access to patient records. When researching the issue, I found that some healthcare providers are putting limitations in their medical record system to filter out alterations to a patient’s records.” said Rep. Caulkins. “The Cures Act did not address healthcare facilities altering records and failing to notify patients of those alterations. This bill aims to protect Illinois residents from this practice and improve patient access to their own medical records.” The bill (HB 1137) sponsored by Rep. Caulkins addresses several key issues, including: Ensuring that accurate records are provided to patients Allowing patients to know if their records have been altered after the date of care, and for what reason Providing the legal system with stronger tools to punish those who alter records to cover up bad healthcare Requiring the release of audit trails and logs the show who accessed and altered a record and the substantive changes for accountability Advocacy groups such as the Family Justice Resource Center have highlighted the importance of this issue, stating that they have encountered numerous cases in which hospitals violate HIPAA and HITECH by refusing to release records that show changes to a child’s medical records. By refusing to release records in a timely manner, hospitals make it difficult for parents to seek justice for their children. Watch Full Press Conference Here



Injunction sought on behalf of all FOID card holders
Decatur, Ill (WAND) – The state’s new assault weapons ban is under attack once again. This time in Macon County Circuit Court. The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of State Representative Dan Caulkins, (R) Decatur, gun dealers and owners. An injunction has been issued in Effingham County against the ban. But it only applies to those who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. In Decatur, attorney Jerry Stocks is seeking a temporary restraining order on behalf of all FOID card holders in the entire state. “This is a very complicated issue. We’ve asked for the whole state. This was our intent from the very beginning,” Rep. Caulkins told WAND News after a Friday court hearing in Decatur. “We say everybody. If it’s good for 900 people, two-thousand, or 25-hundred people, it should be good for every FOID card holder. Every legal, lawful gun owner in the state of Illinois should enjoy the same protection.” Judge Rodney Forbes has taken the case under advisement. He is expected to issue a ruling this week. Click Here For More


Hooray! COVID In Illinois Will Finally End On May 11th
Did Governor Pritzker consult a magic crystal ball in order to proclaim that his emergency declarations #’s 39, 40 and 41 will no longer be necessary starting May 11, 2023? NO. He had no other choice, because President Biden announced that the federal government would be ending the national emergency on May 11th.  Pritzker will finally be stripped of his unilateral draconian lockdown powers. Read More Here



More Layoffs in Illinois
Insurance giant State Farm, (headquartered in Bloomington), told the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity it would eliminate 451 positions at the end of March. Wells Fargo reported the layoff of 140 workers in their  Springfield office. They will be joining Illinois companies Groupon (who will lay off 500 people) and electric truck manufacturer Rivian (who will lay off 6% of its workforce). Click Here To Read



More ‘Crackpot’ Ideas Coming Out of Illinois Democrats
No member of Congress has ever been dumb enough to put forth what Congressman Sean Casten has proposed — to strip the United States Supreme Court of the power to void federal laws, regulations and executive orders that violate the Constitution. His proposal doesn’t stop there. He also wants to increase the size of the Senate with 12 at-large senators elected through a nationwide system of ranked choice voting and add about 138 additional members to the House. This would completely change how the President of the United States is elected. The power grab could not be more obvious. Read More Here


7 Buzzing Facts About Bees
Whether you’re a fan of the fuzzy, buzzing pollinators or happen to suffer from apiphobia (the fear of bees), these facts will give you a glimpse into their tiny yet fascinating world. Read More

Here to Serve
As your State Representative, my office is available to assist you with any issues you may have when interacting with a state agency. Please call our office at 217.876.1968 to get help or schedule an appointment to see me. The office is located at a715 W Imboden Dr, Decatur.