CENTREVILLE – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) is announcing that school districts in the 57th District will receive an estimated $211.3 million in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As chairperson of the Senate Education Committee, I’ve seen firsthand the lengths schools have gone through to make sure students receive the best education possible during this health crisis,” Belt said. “This money will help not only students and their teachers get back to our new normal, but parents as well.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Local school districts are set to receive the following estimated amounts:

SPRINGFIELD – A measure introduced by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) that would provide additional funding to prevent child abuse in Illinois passed committee Wednesday.

“Children are the most vulnerable members of our society,” Belt said. “We must do everything in our power to protect them from abuse and neglect.”

The measure would require the Department of Lottery to offer a special scratch-off game for child abuse prevention. Currently, Illinois has similar scratch-off games for veterans’ related issues, HIV/AIDS prevention and education, the Illinois Special Olympics and more.

“The Illinois lottery brings in millions of dollars each year in revenue,” Belt said. “We need to ensure that some of that money goes toward preventing child abuse in the state of Illinois.”

All of the revenue earned from the game would go to the Child Abuse Prevention Fund, which was created to provide grants to private social service organizations to help eliminate and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Senate Bill 2090 passed the Senate Executive Committee with a vote of 16-0 and will now head to the Senate floor for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – In a major step toward dismantling systemic inequality, fighting discrimination in the workplace and promoting growth in minority communities, legislation sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) that eliminates barriers to economic access, equity and opportunity was signed into law Tuesday.

“Since this nation’s inception, there’s been a massive disparity in access to economic opportunity in America. This imbalance affects all aspects of life, especially housing and access to capital,” Belt said. “If the federal government won’t take the lead, Illinois will. It’s time our state reaches its full potential, giving Middle America a beacon to strive toward.”

In order to eliminate long-standing economic obstacles to Illinoisans of color, the reform package includes a series of measures addressing the third pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ anti-racism agenda—economic access, equity and opportunity—which is made up of nine parts:

• Banking and investment
• Economic mobility
• Small business and entrepreneurship
• Procurement and the Business Enterprise Program
• Industry-specific equity
• Environmental equity
• Housing, land use and gentrification
• Pay equity and workers’ rights
• Capital investments

To help address inequities in state procurement practices, the package of legislation would also create the Commission on Equity and Inclusion, which would be charged with developing a procurement scoring system to give minority contractors a boost when competing for procurement opportunities with state agencies and universities. The commission will also help provide support for diversity hiring and training initiatives at state agencies.

“Accepting nothing less than true equity is the only way we can ensure the success of minority workers and businesses,” Belt said. “A diverse business community makes our economic foundation deeper, broader and stronger. When we break down barriers to economic access and opportunity, Illinois benefits.”

CENTREVILLE – The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD)      has been chosen to receive $200,000 in state funding through the Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) announced Wednesday.

“This funding will help grow existing bike trail networks in the area,” Belt said. “Investing in our county bike trails offers people more opportunities for recreation and to get outside more often.”

SCCTD will use the grant funding to construct a 0.8-mile section of paved trail located along the west side of Old Collinsville Road in Fairview Heights from Munie Road to Frank Scott Parkway East.

The Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program, which is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, was created in 1990 to provide grants to eligible local governments for projects that develop, rehabilitate or construct new bike trails. This year, the program will fund seven bike path projects across the state totaling more than $800,000.

More information about the program, eligible projects and the application process is available here.