Belt announces temporary DMV services at East St. Louis Community College Center

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) announced today that a temporary express driver services facility opened today at the East St. Louis Community College Center.

The previous East St. Louis Driver Services facility is temporarily closed due to air quality concerns. Belt and Representative Latoya Greenwood worked with Secretary of State Jesse White to arrange a safe alternative location in a timely manner.   

“I would like to commend the East St. Louis Community College Center for providing accommodations to enable driver services to stay within the community, Belt said. “The wellbeing of employees and customers will always be Representative Greenwood’s and my main concern, and it’s vital that residents have access to essential services.”

The temporary DMV will operate in Building A in rooms 1013 and 1014 at 601 James R. Thompson Blvd. The weekly hours of operation will be Tuesday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday 7:30 a.m.- noon.

Commercial driver’s license holders who wish to conduct a CDL drive exam are encouraged to visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com or call 217-785-3013 to make an appointment at any of these CDL facilities:

Salem – 1375 W. Whittaker

Marion – 1905 Rendleman St.

Springfield – 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway

Charleston – 1010 E. Street

Belleville – 400 W. Main (beginning Oct. 15)

The Belleville Driver Services facility located at 400 W. Main will begin offering CDL drive exams on Tuesday, October 15.

Belt delivers $2 million grant to Touchette Regional Hospital

     SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) released the following statement on Touchette Regional Hospital receiving a $2 million grant from the State of Illinois:  

“Touchette provides life-saving care to thousands of residents of Centreville and neighboring communities,” Belt said. “This grant will ensure that this vital institution has the resources needed to continue to deliver services to those who need it the most.”

Belt advocated for the grant to be included in the bipartisan budget package that was signed by Governor Pritzker earlier this summer. The grant was administered to hospitals across the state that are identified as “safety net hospitals.”

Touchette Regional Hospital has provided quality health care services to residents of the Metro-East area since its opening in 1958.

New law to protect consumers from deceptive tactics by electric providers

CENTREVILLE – A new law co-sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) that will protect consumers from alternate electric providers who prey on the vulnerable was signed into law yesterday by Gov. JB Pritzker.

“We want to protect people from being deceived and misled into thinking their electric bills will drop with alternative providers,” Belt said. “I want to thank Attorney General Kwame Raoul for pushing this initiative and ensuring that our senior citizens and low-income families are protected from deceptive practices.”

Senate Bill 651 increases oversight of alternative electric and gas suppliers by mandating the suppliers list their prices on all materials to allow consumers to make informed price comparisons. The new law also protects consumers who rely upon the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) from being enrolled by an alternative retail electric supplier.

The new law comes after several high-profile aggressive sales practice complaints against alternative electric suppliers.

Senate Bill 651 also:

• requires all marketing materials and customer bills to contain the utility supply rates;
• eliminates early termination fees and penalties;
• prevents suppliers from renewing a consumer's contract without notifying the consumer of the new rate;
• stops the practice of switching consumers from a fixed rate to variable rates without their consent;
• and requires suppliers to report their rates to the Illinois Commerce Commission and Attorney General.

Senate Bill 651 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

Belt law encourages corporations to diversify their boards of directors

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt’s legislation that will increase minority representation on corporate boards was signed into law today.

Under the legislation, all publicly held corporations whose principal executive offices are located in Illinois will be required to submit information with their annual report regarding the gender and racial/ethnic make-up of their board of directors. 

The University of Illinois would then conduct a study to make recommendations on how to improve minority and female representation.

“With this new law, we will be able to pinpoint the corporations who aren’t diversifying,” said Belt (D-Centreville). “Illinois is a very diverse state, and boards should reflect the diversity of its employees, consumers and community.”

Currently, only eight percent of the 77 Illinois Fortune 1000 companies have corporate boards composed of 20 percent or more women. Nationwide, black professionals make up only 6.3 percent of corporate boards. Asian Americans and Latinos make up 3.7 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

House Bill 3394 takes effect immediately.