ROCKFORD — State Senator Steve Stadelman joined local leaders to celebrate the long awaited reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant, which has been idled since February, after United Auto Workers and Stellantis came to a tentative agreement.

“This is a major win for the city of Belvidere and the UAW,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Our manufacturing and organized labor industries are the backbone of our country. By coming to this agreement, we can ensure UAW members have access to higher wages and better benefits, keeping good-paying jobs in Illinois.”

The agreement is the result of collaboration between auto workers, Stellantis executives, UAW representatives, the state of Illinois and the White House. Other efforts that enabled a solution for Belvidere and supported further economic development in Illinois include the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act, which Stadelman was a sponsor.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman announced that the Illinois Department of Public Health has awarded more than $249,000 to Crusaders Central Clinic Association in Rockford to support post-pandemic child and adolescent health.

“This funding will help increase mental health opportunities for kids across Rockford with more resources and programs available,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Developing good mental health habits is important, and increasing the resources available to providers here in our city improves their chances for success.”

The grant – funded primarily from the CDC’s COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding program – is intended to help hospitals, clinics, schools and local agencies improve child and adolescent health through workforce enhancements, developing frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences, interventions to assist children suffering from trauma, and training for medical and school staff to expand adolescent mental health resources.

Projects funded through the program incorporate a diverse set of strategies to strengthen mental health services for students across Illinois. These include developing student support programs and offering specialized curriculums in areas like stress management and nutrition; creating suicide awareness and prevention efforts; creating plans for mental health outreach; developing plans to address mental health needs during current and future public health emergencies; hiring counselors and other mental health professionals; and providing telehealth counseling and evaluation services.

BELVIDERE -- State Senator Steve Stadelman expressed optimism Saturday after Stellantis and the United Auto Workers came to terms on a new contact that awaits union approval.

"I'm excited by today's UAW announcement of a labor deal that will reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant to begin manufacturing a new truck product and expand operations to include a new battery plant," Stadelman said. "This is what I've been working with state and local leaders toward for two years -- securing the plant's future and saving the thousands of jobs that support families across Boone and Winnebago counties."

Stadelman sponsored and passed in 2021 the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act in 2021, a historic stimulus package offering tax credits and other incentives to attract manufacturers of electric vehicles, batteries and other EV components and parts. More recent efforts included the creation of a $400 million Large Business Attraction Fund to empower Illinois to become a global magnet for EV technology.

Read more on the Stellantis plant reopening here.

ROCKFORD – Continuing assistance for community development in Rockford, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced today that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is providing $146,000 in grants to improve a bike path in Rockford.

“The improvements to the Sports Core Recreation Path across Rockford will increase community engagement and activity, as well as provide a safer route for cyclists to travel,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford).

Over $2.1 million was awarded by IDNR through the latest round of the Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program. The program provides financial assistance to help local units of government in the acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public off-road, non-motorized bicycle paths and related facilities, such as a drinking water and restrooms.

The proposed project in Rockford will replace the one-mile-long Sports Core Recreation Path to improve access for maintenance. Removing and replacing the path will allow it to be repaired with appropriate drainage. Four bridges will be treated for rust removal, prolonging their life and allowing the paths to remain open.