Bill Hauter

State Rep. Bill Hauter, a Republican from Morton, has announced plans to run for a third term in the heavily Republican district that covers a heavily rural area that includes Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Decatur and Springfield.

Mifepristone, a drug used in medical abortion, has come under threat by the Trump administration in recent months. The widely used abortion bill is still legal. It survived a court challenge last year, but state Rep. Dagmara Avelar said she is concerned that reproductive health care remains under attack.

Illinois GOP lawmakers from Central Illinois held a townhall meeting this week following the end of the Spring session. The town hall took place online on Sen. Sally Turner’s Facebook page. Turner was accompanied by Rep. Bill Hauter and Rep. Regan Deering, who both represent parts of McLean County.

The Illinois House has approved a bill that would ban portrayals of Native Americans in school logos, names and mascots, and another bill that would force a Southern Illinois school to drop its use of the Midgets nickname.

In 10 other states, doctors are allowed to prescribe life-ending treatment for terminal patients. Illinois could become the 11th.

A Republican state lawmaker from Morton is sponsoring a bill making it illegal for insurance companies to place a time limit on anesthesia payment coverage.

A four-time candidate for Congress who never won is now running for state representative in central Illinois.

The project proposal from Wolf Carbon Solutions, currently under review by the Illinois Commerce Commission, would run through multiple central Illinois counties on its way to an underground sequestration facility in Decatur.

A bill that would change who pays property taxes to support the Central Illinois Regional Airport is one step closer to final passage. The bill, SB 684, passed the Illinois House on Wednesday. It now moves to the Senate.

The McLean and Tazewell county Republican Party chairs have chosen Morton doctor Bill Hauter to finish state Rep. Keith Sommer's term in office.