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State Rep. Regan Deering pushes transgender sports ban days after being sworn in

Woman in a blue suit
Cesar Toscano
/
WGLT
State Rep. Regan Deering during inauguration week in Springfield.

New Republican state Rep. Regan Deering, who represents parts of Bloomington, wasted no time wading into a fierce political debate in her first days after taking office.

Deering, who ran unopposed in the 88th House District race after defeating Chuck Erickson of Bloomington in the Republican primary, has filed a bill that schools must organize sport teams by male, female, and coeducational according to their gender assigned at birth.

The bill also defends schools if a government agency or organization wanted to start an investigation, complaint, or action against them.

"I have spearheaded the fight for young girls by seeking to preserve sports and private spaces, like locker rooms, for biological females," Deering said in a news release.

The proposal is co-sponsored by six Republican House members, all women.

Deering filed the legislation soon after the U.S. House passed a bill to ban transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports.

Her bill came days before President Donald Trump rolled back protections for transgender people.

Education

Deering said she wants to make sure every student has a great education.

Before running for office, Deering worked as a science teacher and owned a tutoring service. She was also a member of the Mount Zion school board and a president of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation.

Deering said the state needs more school choice programs. She was disappointed when the state let the Invest in Kids tax credit expire last year, even joining advocates on rallying day. The Invest in Kids Act program provided tax breaks to pay for scholarships to families to pursue private and charter schools. It was funded by taxpayers who could earn a tax credit for donating money to the program.

Deering said that the expiration of the program leaves no space for school choice in Illinois.

“We're the only state in the nation that no longer has a school choice option for our families, and so I hope to have the opportunity to bring that back to my colleagues, as well as the speaker, for an opportunity I really see for them to do what's best for all Illinoisans,” Deering said in an interview on WGLT's Sound Ideas.

According to EdWeek, Illinois is one of about two-dozen states that have no school choice options.

Deering also said Springfield is distracting schools from focusing on core competencies and placing too many mandates on schools. She pointed to a new law that suggests schools have a 20-minute weekly break for mental health as one example.

“We want a future workforce,” Deering said. "We want people to come out of the public education system, or any education system in Illinois, ready to come at what's next for them. And the school days are having more and more demands put on them, even through the Illinois State Board of Education.”

Deering said she wants to serve on an education committee so she can advocate for fewer mandates on local school systems.

Economy

Deering said tax relief is necessary for her community and all of Illinois. She said Illinois’ taxes are too high and causing stress for Illinoisans.

“People are constantly looking for relief,” Deering said. “We can work toward solutions. It's been an ongoing conversation, and certainly being in the minority, some of our ideas are not always heard, but we will continue to stand and advocate for our people.”

Deering also wants to support small businesses and bring more manufacturing jobs to Illinois. She said this could be accomplished through job training programs, skill training, and deregulation.

“Job creation and driving good economics here in Illinois should be a priority for all of us, because this is a great state,” Deering said. “My family has chosen to stay here, and we have way too many families choosing to leave, and a lot of times that's for lack of economic opportunity, coupled with very high taxes, makes for an exit strategy for many. But I love it here. I want to stay here.”

Deering also said Illinois spent too much of the budget on undocumented immigrants last session. She said programs like the healthcare and shelter programs for immigrants has a been burden on Illinois citizens. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services estimates Illinois spent nearly $700 million on the Medicaid-style healthcare programs for immigrants ages 42 and older. The state later capped enrollments for those programs to limit costs.

Some of the federal money provided during COVID was used to fund these programs. Deering said federal funds used on the long-term immigration programs should have been spent on temporary ones instead.

“I certainly would have preferred to see the state spend on things that were a one-time expense, instead of investing in things that would need to be maintained,” Deering said. “For example, supporting the illegal immigrant community. Those dollars are dried up now, and I'm seeing shelters close. I'm seeing services being cut. And that's not a fault of anyone that has come here expecting to be taken care of. But those that knew the COVID dollars were temporary probably could have planned for it better.”

Deering said she supports legal immigration and believes Illinoisian citizens should be prioritized first.

Deering said she will follow the federal government when it comes to long-term immigration policy.

Conservative values

Deering said one of her main focuses is to represent her district’s conservative values. Her district has been historically red. Deering said family, faith and small businesses define her district.

“I'm definitely a strong conservative,” Deering said. “For me, that means that we're putting the people first here in Illinois. We have a great bloated government here in Illinois and across the nation. And this most recent national election has really given an indication that the people are ready to be back in charge. So, I know that serving as my district's representative means I'm working for the people.”

Deering said she wants to follow in the footsteps of her predecessor, Rep. Dan Caulkins, who served the district from 2019 to 2025. He was the secretary and treasurer of the Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers.

Cesar Toscano is a Statehouse reporting intern for WGLT and WCBU.
Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
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