State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, Your District 38
Update

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*Upcoming Events**

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*Monthly Office Hours at the Kingsley Center*

*Friday, May 5, 2023
from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM*

My office will be holding Community Office
Hours again at the Kingsley Association on Friday, May 5, 2023!
We are
there the first Friday of every month to bring the assistance we offer
in our district offices into the community. Stop by our table between
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
for help with PennDOT disability parking placards,
unclaimed property searches, a senior bus pass, or questions about
Medicaid renewals.

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*Library
Days with Lindsey!*

*Northland Public Library, Wednesday May 15,
2023, 10 am - 2 pm*

Join us for Library Days with Lindsey at
Northland Public Library [link 1] next month. This is an opportunity
for you to share what is important to you with Senator
Williams.

Appointments fill up fast and are strongly encouraged. Call
to schedule your appointment at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131
(Harrison) or email us at [email protected].

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*Small
Business Resource Fair Postponed*

Our upcoming Small Business
Resource Fair has been postponed! Look for a new date soon!



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*Unsafe
Railroad Industry Practices Policy Hearing*

*Pittsburgh Federation of
Teachers Local 400 Building, Friday, May 19, 2023, at 11 AM*

Join
Senator Katie Muth [link 2], Senator Wayne Fontana [link 3], and me
for our next policy hearing on railroad safety at 10 S. 19th Street in
Pittsburgh's South Side Flats neighborhood. The hearing will focus on
highlighting overall unsafe railroad industry practices and will
feature a discussion of what authority the legislature and state
agencies like the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency [link 4],
the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission [link 5], and the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection [link 6] have over
the railroad sector.

Register to attend the hearing virtually or in
person at SenatorMuth.com/Policy [link 7].

You can also watch the
hearing live on my Facebook page at Facebook.com/SenWilliamsPA.com
[link 8].

Read about the importance of railroad safety to our region
at Derailments pose a major risk to the region's rivers, Pitt report
says | 90.5 WESA [link 9].



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*Free
Shredding Event!*

*Ross Department of Public Works, Saturday, May 20,
2023, 10 am - 12 pm*

Protect your identity by shredding your
sensitive paper documents at the free shredding event Representative
Emily Kinkead [link 10] and I are hosting! We will be at the Ross
Township Department of Public Works [link 11], 225 Cemetery Lane,
Pittsburgh, PA 15237, on Saturday, May 20th from 10 am - 12 pm (or
until the truck is full). Shredding will be performed on site and is
limited to 2 boxes per car. This is paper only shredding - please
remove all metal fasteners other than staples. No books or binders,
please!

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*Good News**

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*Senior
Fair at the Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center*

We had a wonderful
day last week for my Spring Senior Fair! Thank you to Rep. La'Tasha D.
Mayes [link 12] and all of the vendors who came out to share resources
and information with the attendees. A very special thank you to Mount
Ararat Community Activity Center [link 13] for hosting us and to
Tanya's Catering for the delicious breakfast!

If you missed the
senior fair but would like to be connected with resources, please call
my office at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Natrona Heights) or
email us at [email protected] [link 14].

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*Medicaid
and CHIP Renewal Discussion*

I would like to remind constituents that
as of April 1, all Medicaid and CHIP recipients will be required to
complete annual renewals to retain their medical coverage. The most
important thing you can do to protect your coverage is to update your
contact information at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS [link 15] or on the
MyCOMPASS App!

You WILL NOT lose coverage without an opportunity to
renew-- and you'll be notified a few months before your individual
renewal date. You can check on your personal renewal date on the
MyCOMPASS App.

Even if you think you might not requalify for
Medicaid, reapply! If you don't qualify, you may be eligible for free
or reduced cost health insurance through Pennie [link 16],
Pennsylvania's own healthcare exchange marketplace. You will
automatically be sent information about Pennie if you don't requalify
for Medicaid- so there's no downside to reapplying.

Last week I
joined Pennsylvania Department of Human Services [link 17] Acting
Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, Rep. La'Tasha D. Mayes [link 18],Office of
the Allegheny County Executive [link 19] Rich Fitzgerald, and
representatives from Pennie [link 20], the East Liberty Family Health
Care Center [link 21], and the East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM)
[link 22]to discuss these changes. Thank you to EECM for hosting us
and for the tour of your facility!

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*APSCUF
Awards Breakfast*

Thank you to the members of the Association of
Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties [link 23] for
naming me as their Distinguished Friend of Higher Education this year.
Supporting the hard work that APSCUF members do as educators and
coaches is one of my highest priorities, so I'm incredibly proud to
receive this honor.

The last few years have been incredibly difficult
for our Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) [link
24] schools, but APSCUF members have repeatedly risen to the occasion
and fought for our students and for one another. I promise to continue
to ask the hard questions and push for what we all know that our
students need to be successful.

I am absolutely honored to be named
their Distinguished Friend-- I can think of no better company to keep
than by the side of APSCUF members!

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*Teacher
Education Day in Harrisburg*

Addressing teacher education and
preparation is a huge priority for me. I was proud to get paid
internships for mental health professionals into last year's budget,
and I'm excited to support an expansion to that program so that all
student teachers are paid for their work teaching our
students.

There's no simple solution to the teacher shortage we're
facing. One piece is changing the rhetoric coming out of Harrisburg
pitting teachers against parents. Another is fully finding our PASSHE
schools so that we can educate the next generation of teachers here in
Pennsylvania. We also need to create a robust mentorship program to
help new teachers feel supported and welcomed so they stay past the
5-year mark. I'm excited to work with our educators to get to work
solving these problems-- it's what the next generation of
Pennsylvanians deserves!

You can watch my full remarks at Teacher
Education Day at the Capitol - Senator Lindsey Williams [link 25]


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*Legislative News**

*Pennsylvania Needs Effective Fraud-Fighting
Legislation*

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[link 26]



This week, I spoke on the Senate floor in support of the
Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Act [link 27],
my legislation with
co-sponsor Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill, which creates a Pennsylvania
False Claims Act.

As many of you know, I previously worked for the
National Whistleblower Center, where I helped strengthen Federal
policy protecting employees who come forward to report government
waste, fraud, and abuse. When I took office, I wanted to bring those
same Federal protections and the ability to recover lost taxpayer
money to Pennsylvania.

Our addition to the Human Services Code would
give whistleblowers the protection and incentives that they need to
come forward and report waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer
dollars.
Whistleblowers are key to identifying these kinds of
losses--and they always have been.
We know from study after study that
most fraud is identified by tip. We also know that PA is literally
leaving millions of dollars per year of fraud recovery on the table
because we don't have a state False Claims Act.

The absolute best way
that we can protect taxpayer dollars is to pass the Commonwealth Fraud
Prevention Act--a truly powerful tool for government accountability
and transparency that Pennsylvania needs NOW. Before we pass another
budget.

We need to make sure that if tax dollars are not being spent
as intended, we can discover it, we can recover those funds, and we
can ensure it doesn't happen again.



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*2023
Municipal Primary Election Information*

The 2023 Municipal Primary
Election is a couple of weeks away on Tuesday, May 16th. Take note of
these important election deadlines!

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*Mail-in ballot request
deadline is next Tuesday, May 9 at 5:00 PM.*Request your mail-in
ballot at Ballot Request Application (pa.gov) [link 28]. If you plan
to vote by mail and haven't submitted your request yet, complete the
online application as soon as possible to ensure your ballot arrives
in time to complete and mail back to Allegheny County Elections
Division by May 16!

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*Deadline for over the counter mail-in
ballot applications and voting is next Tuesday, May 9 at 4:30 PM.
*Voters may visit the lobby of the County Office Building, Monday
through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM through May 9 to apply and
vote over-the-counter. Voters will receive an application to complete
which will be processed while they wait. They will then be provided
with their ballot and all materials to vote and may return it while
still on site or take it with them for return by the 8 PM deadline on
Election Day.

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*Mail-in ballot return deadline is Primary Election
Day, Tuesday, May 16 at 8:00 PM*at the Allegheny County Elections
Division, 542 Forbes Ave. Ste. 601, Pittsburgh PA 15219. *Postmarks do
not count!*

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*Election Day, May 16, polls are open from 7:00 AM -
8 PM.*Find your polling place at Polling Place Information (pa.gov)
[link 29].

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If
you have more questions our office is here to help!
Call us at
412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison) or email us at
[email protected] [link 30].

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*LIHEAP Deadline Extended to May 12!*

The Pennsylvania Department of
Human Services (DHS [link 31]) [link 32] has extended the Low-Income
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) [link 33] season from April 28 to
May 12!

LIHEAP is a federal program administered by DHS that helps
low-income families pay their heating bills with a cash grant.
Households in immediate danger of being without heat can also qualify
for crisis grants.

A LIHEAP cash grant is a one-time payment sent
directly to the utility company/fuel provider to be credited on your
bill. These grants range from $300 to $1,000 and are based on
household size, income and fuel type. This year every household that
qualifies for a LIHEAP cash grant will also receive a one-time $150
LIHEAP supplement approximately one to two months after their initial
LIHEAP cash grant is issued. Remember, these are grants and do not
have to be repaid.

The LIHEAP crisis grant, with a maximum of $2,000,
is a benefit for people who meet the LIHEAP income eligibility limits
and are in jeopardy of having their heating utility service
terminated, have already had their heating utility service terminated,
or who are out of or have less than two weeks' worth of deliverable
fuel, such as fuel oil, propane, coal, or wood. The LIHEAP crisis
grant is also distributed directly to a household's utility company or
home heating fuel provider in the form of a grant.

To be eligible for
LIHEAP:

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you must meet the 2022-2023 income guidelines
below.

Family Size
Gross Income
Limit

o
1
$20,385

o
2
$27,465

o
3
$34,545

o
4
$41,625

o
5
$48,705

o
6
$55,785

o
7
$62,865

o
8
$69,945

o
9
$77,025

o
10
$84,105

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you don't have to be on public assistance.

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you don't need to have
an unpaid heating bill.

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you can rent or own your home.

If you
applied for LIHEAP and were previously denied but have experienced a
change in circumstances, you are able to reapply!

Applications can be
completed online at www.compass.state.pa.us [link 34] or contact the
Allegheny County LIHEAP Office at 412-562-0330 (cash) or 412-770-3677
(crisis).



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*West
View Hub Youth Gardening Workshop*

West View HUB [link 35] is hosting
a Youth Gardening Workshop on Saturday, May 6 from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM!
Sign up today at West View Hub Seedling Planting Workshop (google.com)
[link 36].

Learn more about West View Hub programming at Upcoming
Programs -- West View Hub [link 37].



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*Jazzy
Mother's Day Brunch *

*Etna's Riverfront Park,**Sunday, May 14, 2023
10 AM - 1 PM, Rain Date, May 20*

Give mom a unique Mother's Day
experience she won't forget and be a part of the story of building
Etna's new library! This brunch will be at Etna's Riverfront Park and
Trail at 1 River Way and includes a Brazilian jazz concert featuring
the Lilly Abreu Quintet. You can even add an order of flowers and
chocolates! All ages and families are welcome. Proceeds benefit the
future Etna Library.

For more details and to register go to Jazzy
Brunch at the Riverfront (etnacommunity.org) [link 38].

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*Hampton
Recycle Rama Event*

*Hampton Community Park, Saturday, May 13, 2023,
9 AM- 12 PM*

Reduce, reuse, recycle! The Township of Hampton [link
39] is holding this year's Recycle Rama event again on May 13, 2023
from 9 AM - 12 PM in the Hampton Community Park / Community Center
parking lot. For details on what items you can bring go to Recycle
Rama | Hampton Township, PA - Official Website (hampton-pa.org) [link
40].

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*School
Lunch Hero Day!*

*Friday, May 5, 2023*

School Cafeteria Workers are
the heroes of the lunchroom!

My Universal School Meals bill, which
provides free breakfast and lunch to all Pennsylvania students, takes
inspiration from cafeteria workers who have shared their heartbreaking
experiences with hungry students who can't afford a school meal. But
through this legislation and their incredibly hard work, we can make
meals available to all students and ensure no child feels left out in
the lunchroom.

Help us help these heroes do what they do best--get
our kids fed and ready to learn every day by showing your support
here: School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania - Universal Meals
for All (snapa.org) [link 41].

As always, please feel free to reach
out with any questions you may have by phone at 412-364-0469 [link 42]
(Ross Office), 724-224-2131 [link 43] (Harrison Office) or by email at
[email protected] [link 44]. My staff will return
your call/email within 24 hours (Monday-Friday).

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Senator
Lindsey Williams


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Contact
Information:

Website:
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Office Location:
District
Office
5000 McKnight Road
Suite 405
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone:
412-364-0469
Fax: 412-364-0928

Harrison Office
1826 Union
Avenue
Natrona Heights, PA 15065
Phone: 724-224-2131
Fax:
724-224-2145

Harrisburg Office
366 Capitol Building
Senate Box
203038
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3038
Phone: 717-787-6538
Fax:
717-787-8625

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