MAHOMET, Ill. (WAND) – Criminal charges, lawmakers on the take, bribes at the Statehouse. A black eye for the General Assembly even though most are honest.
State Representative Dan Caulkins, (R) Decatur, is retired from business. He doesn’t need his $70,000 legislative paycheck so he is giving it away. With the help of a two-member committee Caulkins is donating his pay to charities and community organizations in the 101st district that he represents.
“When I was elected I said I wasn’t going to take a salary,” Caulkins told WANDs Doug Wolfe as he handed out checks in Mahomet. Not having a paycheck will also make it easier when he decides to retire from the legislature. “I’m not going to miss an income and I’m not going to hang-on just because that $70,000 a year is what’s paying my living expenses.”
On Friday he gave $500 to the Bement Middle School; $500 to the Mahomet Area Youth Club; $1,000 to the Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce for Soda Fest on June 13th. Previously, he gave money to help with an accessible area for individuals with disabilities at Lake of the Woods.
Caulkins is serving his first term in the Illinois House. So far, he has donated nearly $40,000.
