State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, Your District 38 Update

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*Upcoming Events**
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*Fox
Chapel Pride in the Park*

Thursday, June 8, 2023 from 5:00 PM - 8:00
PM*

Pride in the Park [link 1] returns to Allegheny River Trail Park
[link 2] in Fox Chapel on Thursday, June 8 from 5 - 8 pm. Celebrate
with the LGBTQIA+ community and allies with an evening of music,
games, art, food, drinks and so much more! Stop by to talk with
Senator Williams' staff and pick up state resources and information.
Hope to see you there!

For more information on Fox Chapel Pride in
the Park click here [link 3].

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*Expungement
of Records and Clean Slate Event*

*Sharpsburg Community Library,
Monday, June 12, 2023, at 5:30 pm*

Rep. Mandy Steele [link 4],
District Judge Matt Rudzki [link 5], and I are proud to present a
Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts [link 6]' Expungement of Records and
Clean Slate Event at the Sharpsburg Community Library [link 7]! If you
or someone you know has questions about clearing criminal records, you
should attend this informative event. Participants will hear about
their options and what steps are necessary to complete the process.
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*Good
News**

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*Ribbon
Cutting for the Carina Mixed-Income Housing Community in
Garfield*

Last Week I joined local community leaders and Beacon
Communities LLC [link 8] leadership at the ribbon cutting for the new
Carina mixed-income housing community in Garfield. This new 45-unit
complex will have 38 low-income units to serve the existing residents
of the community.

Thank you to everyone involved in the project and
the celebration, including the special artwork project, Pittsburgh
Builds Bridges!

I was proud to support this project, and I'm excited
to support the ongoing work to turn "The Rotunda'' into a multi-use
community space. You can check out the progress and get involved at
rotundapgh.com [link 9]. [link 10]

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*Pittsburgh
Pride*

Over the weekend I joined local elected officials, including
Parade Grand Marshall Rep. La'Tasha Mayes, Rep. Jess Benham, Rep. Sara
Innamorato, and Rep. Mandy Steele, and thousands of Pittsburghers to
kick off the celebration of Pride Month here in Pittsburgh! I was
honored to be invited to join in the festivities, and I'm proud to
fight for equality for the LGBTQ+ Community in Harrisburg through the
PA Fairness Act; legislation that would streamline and simplify the
name change process; and a bill that would prohibit private schools
that accept EITC or OSTC scholarships, which are funded by taxpayer
dollars, from discriminating against LGBTQ+ students and families.
June is a time to celebrate the progress that we've made towards
equality- from the time of the Stonewall Riots to now- and rededicate
ourselves to the work ahead as both allies and members of the
community.

Happy Pride, Pittsburgh!

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*Legislative Update**

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*PA
HELP Act*

Tuesday was National Higher Education Day. Did you know
that Pennsylvania ranks #1 in the county for the amount of student
loan debt carried? It makes sense--we also rank #49 in the country for
higher education support per capita and #50 in higher education
overall, due to student debt and high tuition and fees.

These numbers
are unacceptable. Students should be able to obtain a degree without
being saddled with large amounts of debt for the rest of their
lives.\

This is why I introduced the PA HELP Act in 2019 and I've
reintroduced it in every session since. This bill, SB30 [link 11] this
session, would reduce debt by allowing students to refinance
high-interest student loan debt, provide tax credits for those who
have outstanding student loans and incentivize employers to help pay
down student loan debt of their employees.

I also support adding
additional state funding to our PASSHE schools and our community
colleges. These schools provide unique opportunities to our
non-traditional students, first-generation students, and low-income
students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to achieve a
degree or other credential. Without appropriate state funding, the
cost of tuition at these institutions is passed on to the
students.

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*Universal
School Meals Benefit Families and Local Economies*

As the General
Assembly heads back to Harrisburg this week to begin work on the
FY2023-24 Budget, I look forward to discussions about including
Universal School Meals in that budget. We're hearing from some local
districts that breakfast participation more than doubled after
Universal Breakfasts went into effect this past October and that, if
Universal School Meals were to pass in this year's budget, the area
could expect to see over $1 million returned to the local
economy.

With families facing higher costs across the board, now is
not the time to take a step backward -- especially when the estimated
cost to feed every student in Pennsylvania would be a small fraction
of our overall budget.

State to consider free school meals | Don't
Miss This | sharonherald.com [link 12]

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[link 13]

*Medicaid and CHIP Renewal Reminder!*

The federal
government ended its continuous coverage policy for CHIP and Medicaid
("Medical Assistance" in PA) on April 1, 2023. If you are enrolled in
these programs this means you will have to complete an annual
eligibility renewal packet from the PA Department of Human Services
(DHS) [link 14] this year to keep your coverage.

You'll start to
receive notices from DHS about 90 days before your annual renewal due
date, so be sure your contact information is up-to-date online through
COMPASS [link 15], in person at your county assistance office, or by
phone at 877-395-8930. If you don't know your renewal date, visit the
COMPASS website [link 16] or call the customer service center at
866-550-4355 so you are ready to take action to complete your renewal.
When you are 30 days from your annual renewal date DHS will send you a
renewal packet which can be completed in one of four ways:

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By
mail: You can complete and return the forms by mailing them back in
the envelope provided with your renewal packet.

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Online: You can
log onto the DHS website at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS [link 17] and complete
your renewal.

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By telephone: You can call 866-550-4355 statewide
to talk to a customer service representative and complete your
renewal.

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In-person: You can visit your local county assistance
office and complete your renewal in person.



*Allegheny County
Assistance Office Headquarters*

301 Fifth Avenue, Suite
470

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

412-565-2146

7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

*Alle-Kiski
District*

909 Industrial Boulevard

New Kensington, PA
15068-0132

1-800-622-3527

724- 339-6800

7:30 a.m.-5 p.m

DHS will
continue to send you reminders [link 18] via US mail, email, text, and
phone calls throughout this time to make sure you've completed your
renewal by your due date.



If you've followed all these steps and
you're still eligible to receive Medicaid, your coverage will
continue. If you're not eligible, don't worry, DHS will securely and
automatically send your information to Pennie, the state's health
insurance marketplace [link 19], where you can get financial support
to lower the cost of your premiums. The Pennie website allows you to
shop for the low- or no-cost, quality health-care plan that best meets
your needs.

For more information about Medicaid renewals, visit
www.dhs.pa.gov/StayCovered [link 20].

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*PUC Scam Alert!*

This week the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission (PUC) [link 22] announced some scam-prevention tips
[link 23] for consumers who might get a visit from a door-to-door
energy sales agent. Energy sales and marketing are allowed in
Pennsylvania, but there are rules and regulations that must be
followed to protect consumers. To avoid becoming a victim of a scam
follow these PUC tips:

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always check a sales agent's ID before
starting a conversation;

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avoid high-pressure sales pitches - no
one is required to choose a competitive electric or natural gas
supplier;

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customers facing aggressive sales agents or who suspect
a potential scam should contact the PUC's Bureau of Consumer Services
at 1-800-692-7380 and consider filing an informal
complaint.

Consumers can shop on their own for their electric
generation or natural gas suppliers on the PUC's neutral, independent
websites: www.PAPowerSwitch.com [link 24] (electric) and
www.PAGasSwitch.com [link 25] (natural gas). These websites allow you
to compare offers and change suppliers, cross-check offers made by
energy sales agents, and get information on energy efficiency and
conservation.

For more details on these topics click here [link
26].

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[link 27]

*AAA Illegible License Plate Event!*

*AAA, 10548 Perry
Highway, Wexford, Thursday June 15, 2023, 11 AM - 2 PM*

If you were
unable to attend our Hard-to-Read License Plate events this year, you
can go to the American
Automobile Association (AAA) [link 28]'s event
in Wexford next Thursday. Your plate will be replaced for free*, but
you *must *bring the vehicle with the illegible plate. The event is
open to the public.

PennDOT's criteria for free replacement are that
one or more characters of the plate cannot be recognized from 50 feet
or the plate coating is blistering, peeling, discolored, or losing
reflectivity. Be advised, vehicle owners can be pulled over and fined
up to $100 for having a license plate that is deemed illegible!

You
can also replace your registration plate yourself. Download and print
a MV-44
form [link 29],
have the plate determined illegible by a
PennDOT representative (like AAA or inspection mechanic) or your local
police department, and return the form to PennDOT.

For more
information on illegible license plate replacement go to Illegible
Plate Information (pa.gov) [link 30]. Our office can answer your
questions as well at 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131 (Harrison), or
[email protected] [link 31].

*Fee required for
replacing a special organization license plate [link 32].

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[link 33]

*Spring Art Fling in Blawnox*

*Freeport Rd, Blawnox,
Saturday, June 10, 2023, 12 PM - 3 PM*

The Best of Blawnox [link 34]
invites you to join them for a Spring Art Fling on Saturday June 10
from 12 pm to 3 pm. This is a walking event on Freeport Road in
Blawnox. There will be fine art exhibits. interactive art workshops,
fun for all ages, and food! Maps of the event will be available under
a tent at the corner of North Ave. and Freeport Rd. This a great event
that supports local artists and the Blawnox community.

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*Juneteenth Youth fest **and Black Heritage
Celebration**!*

*Mellon Park, 6601 Fifth Ave, Saturday, June 10-11, 8
AM - 4 PM Daily*

Stop the Violence Pgh [link 36] is hosting their
Western PA Juneteenth Youth Fest this Saturday, June 10 and Sunday,
June 11 from 8am-4pm. This event is FREE to the public. Enjoy lots of
cultural activities, competitions, and entertainment.

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[link 37]

*NHCG Equipment and Vendor Show in Ross*

*Ross Twp Public
Works Bldg, 225 Cemetery Ln, Thursday, June 15, 2023, 7:30 AM -
Noon*

The North Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) [link 38] is
holding a Equipment and Vendor Show for their 21 member municipalities
[link 39] at the Ross Township Public Works building. This is an
opportunity for municipalities and their staff to get information on
equipment and see demonstrations.

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[link 40]

*Stanton Heights Community Yard Sale*

*Saturday, June 17,
2023, 8:00 AM
2:00 PM*

Pittsburgh's Stanton Heights [link 41] and
Morningside [link 42] neighborhoods are teaming up this year to have
their first joint Community Yard Sale next Saturday! Participants are
asked to register [link 43] by Saturday, June 10th so there is plenty
of time to add houses to the shopping map. There is a small
registration fee to help cover administrative and advertising costs.
Kids can also register [link 44] to host their own neighborhood
lemonade stands for FREE! Lemonade stand locations will be included on
the shopping map as well. The event is rain or shine.

As always,
please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by phone
at 412-364-0469 [link 45] (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 [link 46]
(Harrison Office) or by email at [email protected]
[link 47]. 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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