EAST ST. LOUIS – Three St. Clair County fire districts are set to receive grant funding for equipment totaling more than $75,000, thanks to support for State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea).

“The men and women who work at our local fire departments risk their lives to keep our communities safe,” Belt said. “They are the first people we call in a crisis.”

Grants were awarded to over 100 fire departments and districts across Illinois totaling $2.5 million to purchase small firefighting and ambulance equipment. The initiative derives from fire departments and not-for profit ambulance services in Illinois that have struggled financially to buy small equipment.

SPRINGFIELD – To address the increase in crime across Illinois, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) supported a measure that passed the Senate that would create a pilot program for the East St. Louis Police Department to provide essential resources and assistance to victims.

“Crime is a real issue across Illinois,” Belt said. “No matter the crime, every victim deserves the respect and support after a trauma.” 

House Bill 4736, a measure Belt is co-sponsoring, would create the Co-Responder Pilot Program in the East St. Louis Police Department in the 57^th Senate District. The unit’s primary focus would be providing crisis intervention, case management, advocacy and ongoing emotional support to victims of all crimes, particularly to victims of crimes that cause a high level of trauma.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) championed a measure that passed the Senate Wednesday that would give people another option to become an organ donor.

“In January 2010, I received a kidney transplant,” Belt said. “After living on dialysis for a year, I understand how important organ donors are.”

House Bill 4696 would allow the Department of Natural Resources to offer online hunting license holders the opportunity to be redirected to the First Person Consent Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.  On average, 300 people die each year waiting for an organ donation. More than 4,700 Illinois residents are waiting for an organ or tissue donation. In 2020, there were 7 million Illinoisans registered as organ donors.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) spearheaded a measure through the Senate that would prohibit burning toxic synthetic chemicals in Illinois.

“PFAS poses a risk to people and the environment,” Belt said. “The waste incinerator in Sauget brings a potential risk of exposure to harmful substances to residents in the Metro East.”

House Bill 4818 would ban incinerating materials covered under the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The measure provides that incineration does not include the use of thermal oxidation for the purposes of pollution control and includes exemptions for the combustion of gases at landfills, medical waste incinerators and byproducts generated by municipal wastewater treatment facilities.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) championed a measure that passed the Senate Wednesday that would further increase student safety by ensuring their local school board’s threat assessment procedures are filed with the local law enforcement agencies.

“We have seen school shootings on the rise across the country,” Belt said. “Ensuring our school’s threat assessment procedures are up to date is essential to protecting our students in an emergency situation.”

Currently, each public school district is required to implement a threat assessment procedure that includes the creation of a threat assessment team. The team must consist of an administrator, teacher, school counselor, psychologist, school social worker and at least one law enforcement official.

EAST ST. LOUIS – Local businesses in Madison and St. Clair Counties were awarded more than $650,000 in funding from the Back to Business program thanks to advocacy and support from State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea).

“Business owners are still in recovery mode as we move forward from the pandemic,” Belt said. “This funding has been essential for the small businesses in the Metro East that have fought to keep their doors open.”

The B2B grants are awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity using funds allocated to them by the American Rescue Plan through last year’s state budget.

SPRINGFIELD – People would be prohibited from burning toxic synthetic chemicals in Illinois, thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that passed the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee Thursday.

“The risk PFAS chemicals pose to people and the environment has become clearer, which is why it’s important we are acting now to reduce the amount these chemicals entering our air,” Belt said. “The Metro East is at an immediate risk of exposure to these potentially harmful substances.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) joined state legislators and fire officials to highlight a measure that would help recruit more volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel by providing an income tax credit at a press conference Wednesday.

“When your house catches on fire or you get in a car accident, you rely on first responders for assistance and protection,” Belt said. “Many communities are using paid-on-call firefighters who respond from home and receive just a small stipend or maybe minimum wage.”

Belt, alongside Representative Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa), representatives from the Illinois Firefighters Association and members of the General Assembly outlined a measure that would incentivize more long-term volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel.