Macon Reporter

In a Feb. 4 Facebook post, Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) shared a Herald & Review story in which he's quoted about his lawsuit challenging the state's automatic weapons ban.

After a recent legal ruling, the ban was struck down, but not for everyone.

"This is an opportunity now to get the whole state covered," Caulkins wrote on Facebook. "We should not have 600 people in one county and 1,000 people in another county and 1,100 people in Macon County. This is equal protection. We all should be able to enjoy the rights and the freedoms that are afforded us."

On Feb. 2, Caulkins filed a lawsuit challenging the state's automatic weapons ban that requires gun owners to register their weapons and outlaws possession and purchase of certain weapons and magazines.

In January, Effingham County Judge Joshua Morrison issued a temporary restraining order against the state's gun ban, but only for the 866 plaintiffs involved in attorney Thomas DeVore's lawsuit

Caulkins has been an opponent of the gun measure. On Jan. 6, Caulkins issued a statement after the legislature passed the bill: “I opposed the firearm ban approved by Democrat lawmakers as I believe this bill without a doubt is unconstitutional. This firearm ban chips away at our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and it limits the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families at home.”

Thomas DeVore has filed a brief to intervene in Caulkins' lawsuit, according to WGLT.org. 

DeVore's concern, according to the NPR station, is Caulkins is seeking contributions to a legal defense fund that DeVore alleges is the representative's campaign fund. “Dan should have went to law school is what I would tell him, and he didn’t,” said DeVore, the attorney who filed the first lawsuit against the assault weapons ban. He called Caulkins’ actions “suspect.” “I find it odd that a politician would solicit funds from citizens for legal defense of a law like this and then have them submit them to his campaign account,” DeVore said.

Caulkins was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018. His legislative experience includes serving on the Public Utilities, and Prescription Drug Affordability committees. He resides in Decatur.