Belt hosts women veterans appreciation luncheon in celebration of Women’s History Month

SWANSEA – State Senator Christopher Belt will host a Women Veterans Appreciation Luncheon to recognize the invaluable contributions of women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

“Women veterans have played a vital role in our nation’s history, and this luncheon is a chance to celebrate their courage, dedication and achievements,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “I encourage all women veterans in the area to join us for this special event.”

The luncheon will take place Monday, March 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Southwestern Illinois College, located at 2500 Carlyle Ave. in Belleville, at the Liberal Arts Building, Room LA2311-2313. Registration is required to attend. Interested participants can RSVP by calling Belt’s Swansea office at 618-416-2452 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Suicide prevention awareness and education could be expanded under Belt’s measure

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure to increase access to life-saving mental health resources and strengthen suicide prevention efforts across the state.

“This measure takes crucial steps to ensure help is always within reach for those in crisis,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This will give residents additional resources they may need to stay safe and feel supported.”

Read more: Suicide prevention awareness and education could be expanded under Belt’s measure

Belt’s measure to provide relief for people who fail a vehicle emissions test

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt introduced a measure that would give drivers more flexibility when renewing their vehicle registrations while still complying with state emissions testing requirements.

“Right now, people are losing their jobs because they can’t legally drive over a failed emissions test,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “No one should be shut out of work or an opportunity because of a policy that isn’t even enforced consistently across the state.”

Read more: Belt’s measure to provide relief for people who fail a vehicle emissions test

Illinois one step closer to banning AI for teacher evaluations, thanks to Belt

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure that would ban the use of AI tools in teacher evaluations.

“A teacher may get a bad performance review, just to find out that it was AI that gave them the bad review with no way to challenge the outcome,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “I think we can all agree that there’s nuance in the classroom, and we shouldn’t dehumanize it.”

Senate Bill 2909 would prevent school administrators from using AI to write teacher evaluations. A teacher evaluation is a formal process used to measure an educator's effectiveness, instructional skills and classroom performance. The use of AI while writing these evaluations brings up many transparency and privacy concerns for teachers.

Read more: Illinois one step closer to banning AI for teacher evaluations, thanks to Belt