State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, Your District 38 Update

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*State
Budget Update**

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[link 1]

The budget can be an elusive, confusing process for
residents. That's why I have hosted Demystifying Harrisburg events on
the budget - check out previous years' here:
[link removed] [link 2].

There is
an additional level of confusion this year because both the House and
Senate passed the General Fund appropriation bill, House Bill 611
[link 3], but we still do not have a budget. The Senate recessed and
stated they're not coming back until September 18th or the "call of
the chair" before the House passed the bill.
After the House passed
the bill that was sent over from the Senate, the only thing needed
before the bill could go to the Governor's desk to be signed was the
Senate to sign that the House passed the bill without changes. They
literally needed to gavel into session for a few minutes for the Lt.
Governor to complete this minor procedural motion.

Unfortunately,
the Senate Republican majority refuses to do that. Meaning that unless
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate decides to come back, the
Senate will not sign that bill until the middle of September. It also
means we will not be able to pass the bills (called code bills) that
generally accompany the budget bill so that we can actually spend the
money that we appropriated in the budget. In other words, a huge
number of state programs and the people that rely on them will start
to suffer. I cannot say that I am a fan of this budget, but the people
of Pennsylvania deserve a budget.

I voted against this budget for
many reasons. The biggest reason being because it siphons $100 million
away from public schools and uses that money to create a new voucher
program for unaccountable religious and private schools. This voucher
program would be directed at students attending the lowest performing
schools in Pennsylvania - but here's the tricky part: once students
are enrolled in these private and religious schools, we will have no
way of measuring their progress.

The same standards that tell us
which schools are low performing are not applied to private schools.
These private and religious institutions are not held to the same
standards as public institutions - meaning they can and do
discriminate against students and their families. They can refuse to
admit or kick students out for being gay or having a disability.
Students and families check their constitutional rights at the door of
private schools.

Additionally, these schools aren't held to the same
academic or accountability standards as our public schools. They don't
evaluate teachers to the same standards as public schools. Students
are not required to take standardized tests like public school
students are. They don't have publicly elected and accountable school
boards.

In short, these institutions would have no accountability to
the taxpayers of Pennsylvania, even though they would be accepting
millions of dollars of taxpayer money. We would be creating a another,
parallel system of education in Pennsylvania with no oversight.

Only
a few short months ago, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled
[link 4] that we as the legislature are not meeting our Constitutional
obligation to provide a thorough and efficient system of *PUBLIC*
education. And the Court reaffirmed that decision that we are
unconstitutionally underfunding and inequitably funding our public
schools just a few weeks ago. Sending public money into unaccountable
private and religious schools is not the answer- we need to make sure
that every student in Pennsylvania has a fairly and fully funded
education.

Senate Republicans' willingness to hold up funding of our
schools, our health and human services agencies, nonprofits who
provide services to vulnerable populations, and other services that
you as taxpayers rely on and pay into is unacceptable. They're taking
their marching orders from organizations like The Commonwealth
Foundation - "a front group for billionaire donors who profit off
Pennsylvania school children. [link 5]"

I'm ready to end this
schoolyard standoff and do the job I was elected to do. I await the
reconvening of the Pennsylvania Senate to finally pass this year's
budget.

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*Upcoming
Events**
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[link 6]**

*Library Days with Lindsey!*

Cooper-Siegel Community
Library, Friday, July 28, 2023, 10 AM - 2 PM*

Join us for July's
Library Days with Lindsey at Cooper Siegel Community Library [link 7]
in Fox Chapel. This is a great opportunity 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] [link 8].

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*Save the Date for our Next Small Business Resource
Fair!*

Small business owners, mark your calendars! We are hosting our
second Small Business Fair on Tuesday, August 15 at The Union Project
[link 10] from 10 am - 12 pm. This event is for both new and
established small business owners who want more information on
opportunities to grow and succeed. Additional details will be provided
next week!

Register for event here at
www.senatorlindseywilliams.com/smallbusinessfair2023 [link 11]

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*Good
News**

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*Visit
to Camp Guyasuta in Ohara Township*

Thank you to Camp Guyasuta,
Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts Of America [link 12] for having
me for a tour on July 6. Despite the heat that day, the trails, creek,
and falls were a cool and inviting break. We got to see the day
campers spending time boating, canoeing, and paddleboarding out on the
river at James Sharp Landing. Plus, we got to meet some very adorable
puppies!

Over 40,000 local students and groups enjoy time at Camp
Guyasuta every year-- and I can see why they keep coming back!

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*Hal
English Recognized for his Service to Hampton Rotary Club*

My office
was honored to join the Hampton Township Rotary Club [link 13] in
thanking their outgoing president Hal English for his 5 years of
service as president and welcoming the incoming president Tom Baker.
Hal has done an amazing job in exemplifying service for the people of
Hampton Township, and we know he'll continue to do great
things!

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*Springdale
Community Day!*

Congratulations to the Springdale Team of Active
Residents (STAR) [link 14], Springdale Volunteer Fire Department [link
15], and Springdale Borough [link 16] Council on your second
successful Community Day and Car Show! It was a beautiful sunny day
and we enjoyed teaming with Representative Mandy Steele's [link 17]
and Congressman Chis Deluzio's [link 18] offices to hear from
constituents and to offer information and assistance with state and
federal services. Great turn out and wonderful way to celebrate the
community!

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*Everytown
Gun Safety Resources*

Thousands of individuals lose their lives to
gun violence yearly, and countless others experience acute stress and
anxiety in the aftermath. The trauma of gun violence doesn't end when
the shooting stops. Experiencing gun violence has a lasting impact on
survivors and their communities. We've watched the rise of mass
shootings, and we're all affected by the tragedies we learn of in the
media almost daily.

Our friends at Everytown for Gun Safety [link 19]
created this list of resources to support individuals and communities
affected by gun violence. If you or someone you know needs help, you
are not alone; there are tools to help you cope.

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*Senior
Farmers Market Voucher Distribution is July 25!*

After a delay of the
original June distribution date, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition
Program (SFMNP) [link 20] will distribute vouchers *next Tuesday, July
25, 2023*. Eligible seniors will receive one set of vouchers to be
spent at participating farmers markets (see eligibility criteria
above)! Each set includes five vouchers worth $10 each. Vouchers can
be used through November 30, 2023 on produce that is grown in
Pennsylvania or purchased directly from a Pennsylvania farmer. Please
note that when redeeming a voucher at a farmers market, the whole
voucher must be spent at once- no change can be given.

On
distribution day, vouchers will be given out at participating Senior
Community Centers on a first come, first served basis (see list above
for SD 38 locations). Eligible seniors who are unable to get to a
senior center may designate a "proxy" to pick up their vouchers. Proxy
information and the complete list of distribution centers can be found
here [link 21].

Contact our office at 412-364-0469 (Ross),
724-224-2131(Harrison), or [email protected] [link
22] if you have questions!

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[link 23]

*Low-Income Water Assistance Available*

Are you or someone
you know struggling with water or sewer bills? If so, you should apply
for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) [link
24] soon. The application period opened July 10, 2023 and closes
August 11, 2023!

LIHWAP provides eligible households with one crisis
grant for drinking water service and one crisis grant for wastewater
service of up to $2,500 each! Crisis situations can include past-due
water bills or termination of utility service.

Income requirements
for the program are:

Household Size

Maximum Annual
Income

1

$20,385

2

$27,465

3

$34,545

4

$41,625

5

$48,705

6

$55,785

7

$62,865

8

$69,945

9

$77,025

10

$84,105

For
every additional person, add $7,080

There are four ways to submit
your application:

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*Online* at COMPASS HHS Home (state.pa.us)
[link 25].

-
*Paper*: You can download a paper application, print
it, fill it out, and return it to your local county assistance
office.

-
LIHWAP Paper Application -- English (PDF) [link 26]

-
LIHWAP Paper Application -- Spanish (PDF) [link 27]

-
*Phone*:
Request an application by calling the Statewide Customer Service
Center at 877-395-8930 or call PA Relay at 711 for the hearing
impaired.

-
*In-Person*: Applications are available at your local
county assistance office [link 28].

Complete eligibility information
and what you need to apply can be found here [link 29].

Funding is
available for a limited time, so be sure to apply before August 11,
2023. Contact our office at 412-364-0469(Ross),
724-224-2131(Harrison), or [email protected] [link
30] if you have any questions!

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[link 31]

*PWSA* *Has an Outage Map!*

Did you know the Pittsburgh
Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) [link 32] has a Service Outage Map
[link 33] you can use to look up active, upcoming, and recently
restored water outages? The map is a great informational tool for
Pittsburgh residents who could be faced with planned or emergency
service interruptions this year.

The map is updated in real time and
automatically generates a robo call that notifies affected residents
of an outage. Be sure your contact information is updated so you
receive these calls! Nothing is more frustrating than getting up to
take a shower in the morning only to discover your water has been
temporarily shut off. You can enter your current contact information
here [link 34] or call PWSA at 412-255-2423.

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*Scam
Alert: Unsolicited Emails Claiming to be from PA Treasury!*

Online
scams are a constant threat, and Treasurer Stacy Garrity is reminding
all Pennsylvanians to be on alert for suspicious messages and
emails.

Sophisticated phishing emails imitating the Pennsylvania
Treasury Department have been circulating recently. The scammers'
emails are designed to look like they come from the Pennsylvania
Treasury Department. The messages include a link to what appears to be
Treasury's website, but instead leads to a fake version that prompts
users to enter login credentials.

The Pennsylvania Treasury
Department will NEVER ask you to share personal information through
unsolicited emails or text messages.

If you receive a suspicious
message claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department or
have any other questions, you can contact Treasury through its secure
website: patreasury.gov/contact [link 35].

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[link 36]

*Indiana Township Boy Scout Receives Meritorious Action
Award*

Congratulations to Indiana Township [link 37] resident Cameron
Aziz on being the youngest person ever to receive the Boy Scouts'
Meritorious Action Award for saving his younger brother from choking
in 2021!

Read more at: Indiana Township boy is youngest recipient of
Boy Scouts of America's prestigious Meritorious Action Award |
TribLIVE.com [link 38].

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As
always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have
by phone at 412-364-0469 [link 39] (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 [link
40] (Harrison Office) or by email at
[email protected] [link 41]. 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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