EAST ST. LOUIS – With strong support from State Senator Christopher Belt, $200,000 will be coming to the Metro East area to boost local tourism efforts and attract visitors.

“This funding will allow us to continue to grow and promote tourism in our region,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Tourism is an important economic driver in the Metro East, and this grant will enable us to build upon current success and attract even more visitors to the area.”

Through the Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program, a total of $2.9 million is being awarded to 51 grantees to support local tourism promotional efforts. This program provides funding for promotional efforts by local governments, municipalities, non-profits and local promotional groups such as Illinois' Certified Convention and Visitor Bureaus, with the goal of attracting visitors to destinations, attractions, and events throughout Illinois.

The City of Fairview Heights and Discover Downstate Illinois will both receive $100,000 in funds from the program, which is funded by a federal Economic Development Administration grant.

“By investing in tourism in downstate Illinois, we are not only attracting visitors but also creating jobs, supporting local businesses and enhancing the quality of life for residents in the area,” said Belt.

To view a full list of Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program recipients, click here.

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt announced that two school districts in the Metro East have received federal Team Nutrition School Meals Recipe Grants to help students create recipes for schools across the country.

“This is a unique opportunity that allows high school students to get involved with their community as well as teaching them necessary skills they will be able to use for the rest of their lives,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “We are enabling student chefs to experiment with recipes and promote healthy eating habits, while focusing on Illinois’ locally produced vegetables.”

The grants have supported students with local cooking competitions, taste testing events, chef demonstrations and field trips to farms or production facilities of local agricultural products, culminating in the students developing their own tasty and nutritious recipes for school meals.

Two out of the eight school districts who were grant awardees are located in Belt’s district: Cahokia Unit School District 187 and East St. Louis School District 189.

“This grant provides students a wonderful opportunity to focus on nutrition education and gain culinary experience developing recipes,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “It is so important to understand where our food comes from and how its nutrients fuel us. The recipes these students created celebrate and uplift Illinois’ homegrown agricultural bounty and have the potential to reach students in lunchrooms across the country for years to come.”

To learn more about the grant program and to see a full list of recipients, click here.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure through the Senate Education Committee Tuesday that would help address the ongoing teacher shortage in Illinois.

“Illinois is facing a crisis when it comes to recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, particularly in underserved communities,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “We need to address this issue so our children have access to quality education.”

House Bill 3801 would provide retention bonuses of $4,000 per year, for two consecutive years to teachers who are National Board Certified who are employed in hard-to-staff schools. A hard-to-staff school is a public school that no less than 30% of the student enrollment is considered low-income. Becoming a National Board Certified teacher is a career continuum for those that starts in pre-service teacher preparation, leading aspiring teachers to pursue and achieve National Board Certification.

This measure aims to provide an incentive for teachers to work in underserved areas, as these are the areas that are most affected by the current teacher shortage.

“Our children’s futures are at stake when we aren’t able to find well-equipped teachers,” said Belt. “We cannot sit back and do nothing. The time is now to address this issue that affects us all.”

House Bill 3801 passed the Senate Education Committee and will head to the full Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure through the Senate Transportation Committee today that would prohibit law enforcement from pulling a vehicle over for objects placed between the driver and their front windshield.

“Often times, people hang small air fresheners, personal items or parking passes on their rearview mirrors only to be pulled over because of it,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This has been a violation that has often been used as a pretext for law enforcement to pull people over, which disproportionately affects certain communities.”

Under current law, people cannot drive with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield which obstruct the driver's view. House Bill 2389 would clarify that vehicles cannot be stopped or searched by a law enforcement officer solely on the basis of a violation or suspected violation of this subsection.

“No driver should have to fear they may be stopped or searched solely because they have an item on their mirror,” said Belt. “With adding this new framework to the law, it will provide clarity to both law enforcement and drivers about what constitutes a legitimate reason for a traffic stop.”

House Bill 2389 passed the Senate Transportation Committee and awaits further consideration before the full Senate.