Carbondale Reporter

Patrick Windhorst, State Representative of Illinois General Assembly, Republican Party said In a March 15 Facebook post, Rep. Patrick Windhorst announced updates on several pieces of legislation that he sponsored. on Mar 15th.

“We must do everything that we can to express our appreciation to police officers and sheriffs that have served our communities for years, sacrificing their lives and putting their bodies on the line,” he wrote. “We should not be forcing anyone that has been disabled and even if they are now recovered, to return to the very dangerous work that police officers do after the age of 60. I appreciate our police, and if someone wishes to return to work, they still could. But my legislation would prevent the mandatory recall of these retired officers back into service.”

Windhorst ran uncontested for the 117th District in the 2022 General Election.

Windhorst was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018. A Republican, their legislative experience includes serving on the Restorative Justice Committee and Judiciary-Criminal. Windhorst is a state representative who resides in Metropolis, according to the Illinois House.

VoteSmart noted Windhorst has a mixed voting record regarding civil rights and civil liberties. He voted against expanding voting access in jails and voted in favor to prohibit school discrimination against certain hairstyles.

House Bill 2390 focuses on the police article of the Illinois Pension Code. It focuses on fitness for duty for those who have been suspended due to disability. “In a provision concerning submission to an examination to determine fitness for duty for police officers whose duties have been suspended because of disability, certification that a police officer is no longer disabled, and authorizing disabled police officers to be assigned to duty during an emergency, excludes police officers who have attained the age of 60.” It also prevents a retired deputy sheriff or police officer 60 or older who retired for disability from being recalled into service.

Windhorst has been a voice against efforts in the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act.

A second bill, House Bill 1434, focuses on changes to the Juvenile Court Act to allow the admissibility of certified hospital or public or private agency records in adjudicatory hearings on abused, neglected, or dependent minors. Windhorst filed this bill on Jan. 26, 2023, and it has advanced to the Calendar Order of third reading as of March 16, 2023.

This comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he wanted data from the Texas Department of Public Safety to identify transgender individuals in the state, the Rollingstone reported.

“The sad fact is that minors are abused and neglected and medical records are often needed to prove that abuse and neglect. Current Illinois law unnecessarily restricts the admissibility of medical records in Illinois juvenile court hearings,” Windhorst said. “My bill will protect private information while loosening restrictions on the admissibility of the medical records for those hearings.”