McLean County Times

Republican state Rep. Dan Caulkins is sounding off on a measure that would create the Central Illinois Regional Airport Authority and ensure that the territory would represent the corporate limits of McLean County while also ensuring that any existing airport authority located across the area would be dissolved at the time of the creation of the Authority as “an end around voters.”

Caulkins recently took to his Facebook page to post “I attended the Mclean Country Mayors' meeting. The B-N Airport Authority should have placed a referendum on the March ballot. You can register your opinion here: ilga.gov.”

As part of his April 17, post, Caulkins also shared a link to a WGLT.org news story about responses to the bill that have been heard across the county. Later, Lexington Mayor Spencer Johansen said he wasn't aware of the bill, known by some as the Central Illinois Regional Airport’s tax proposal, and that no one from the airport has reached out to any of the county’s 19 rural mayors to discuss the issue.

“In a world where we want transparency, in my opinion there has been absolutely none on this bill,” he added.

Sponsored by veteran state Sen. David Koehlerm SB 0684 would also give that new authority all of the rights to property, assets and liabilities of the dissolved authority. Upon passage, the measure would immediately go into effect.

First elected in the 88th District in 2019, Caulkins currently serves on the Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, & IT; Energy & Environment; Labor & Commerce; Prescription Drug Affordability; Public Utilities; and Occupational Licenses Committees.