Chuck Erickson

A prominent McLean County Republican said he thinks Democrats took control of the county board because, right now, they're better at the process of politics than the Central Illinois GOP.

A Republican candidate for state representative says a four-year university is not required for career success. During a tour of G-3 Machining in Bloomington, Regan Deering said the social conversation on that point had already begun.

Previously, the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council [BHCC] — an ad hoc committee composed largely of mental health experts in the area — made spending proposals. The McLean County Board's Executive Committee approved an ordinance Monday to make the group an independent body, stripping members of that authority.

Regan Deering is poised to replace Dan Caulkins of Decatur, who chose not to seek a fourth term. No Democrats have filed for the seat in the general election.

YWCA Stepping Stones in Bloomington outlined in its proposal that it will use the funds to hire a new counselor and continue paying for six months of a current staff member’s salary in the hope of bringing down a wait list that reached up to 65 people when the group recently lost annual federal funding it typically received.

A request for $100,000 in stopgap funding for YWCA McLean County's Stepping Stones has proved contentious, with multiple County Board meetings mired by discussing proper protocol and procedure. Despite this, two boards approved the proposal and the full County Board is set to vote on it Thursday.

Chuck Erickson of Bloomington and Regan Deering of Decatur are competing in the 88th Illinois House District to replace Dan Caulkins, a Republican from Decatur who is not seeking re-election after serving since 2019.

The McLean County Board on Thursday rejected a proposal calling for the board to oppose tax-supported services for certain groups of immigrants. The 13-to-7 vote followed nearly two hours of public comments before a standing room-only crowd.

Republican Chuck Erickson of Bloomington said the county can’t be sure that all migrants who could be brought to McLean County are seeking political asylum and some may pose a safety threat.

At the Bittner family farm east of Bloomington, Erickson said he is the first generation in his family to get a college degree and schools would be a focus for him if he is elected in November 2024.