Upcoming Events

Fall Senior Fair
Ross Municipal Building, Thursday, October 26, 2023, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Come meet Rep. Emily Kinkead and Senator Lindsey Williams at their fall Senior Resource Fair. It will be held at the Ross Municipal Building on Thursday, October 26^th from 10 am - 12 pm.

This FREE event includes a vaccine clinic, expired and unused medication disposal drop off, information on benefits and services for seniors and caregivers, light refreshments, and much more! Staff from our offices will also be available to process Port Authority Senior ConnectCards and help with Pennsylvania Treasury Unclaimed Property searches. Hope to see you there!

Good News

Primanti
Bros. Opens in Ross

Primanti Bros. Opens in Ross

It was great to celebrate the new Ross Township Primanti Bros. pre-opening party on September 26th. The new location is in McIntyre Square - 45 McIntyre Square Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15237. We are so happy to have another Primanti Bros. location in Senate District 38!

Natrona Riverfront
Opens Mosaic Trail

Natrona Riverfront Opens Mosaic Trail

On September 26th we joined Friends of the Riverfront to celebrate the progress on the Natrona riverfront, including the new mosaic river front connection on River Road and the repaving of Veteran's Way! The Mosaic Trail is not only a visual treat, but provides much-needed access to the Allegheny River for walkers, bikers and anglers.

Community Baby Shower in Larimer

Thank you to everyone who came out to last week’s Community Baby Shower! Even though the weather decided to join in and shower us with rain, we had a great time with a winter coat distribution from the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters and Coats for Kids & Families, face painting by Beanie Paints LLC Pittsburgh Face Painter, flu shots from Russellton Palmer Pharmacy, and amazing vendors from across Allegheny County!

If you missed out on this amazing event but are still in need of a free winter coat, save the date for the Coats for Kids & Families distribution with the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters, Duquesne Light, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and MSA on November 19 from 10 AM - 2 PM!

Legislative Update

SB 755 - The Pennsylvania Energy and Water Efficiency Standards Act

October 4 was Energy Efficiency Day, when we celebrate the ways that we can save our planet and our pocketbooks by turning to energy efficient solutions in our homes and businesses. One way that we can do that is by passing my bill, SB 755, which will improve appliance energy efficiency and water conservation standards. Because the cheapest, cleanest form of energy is the energy that we don’t produce at all.

This legislation would:

Save PA consumers $294 million per year on their utility bills!
Reduce global warming carbon emissions in PA by 384,000 metric tons every year!
Save 9.6 billion gallons of water annually!
Conserve 610 gigawatt hours of electricity per year!

Read more about this legislation and how you can support it:

Guest commentary: New appliance standards can pay big dividends for Pennsylvania (readingeagle.com)

PA Senate Sexual Harassment Protections

This week, I spoke on the Senate Floor because I agree with the statements that my colleagues have made recently about the need for better workplace protections for state employees.

Once again sexual harassment in Harrisburg is in the news this week. We can and should stand with victims, but we shouldn’t throw stones in glass houses. We do not currently have adequate protections here in the Senate.

In January, Senator Katie Muth and I proposed Senate Resolution 5, which would establish sexual harassment protections in the Senate that mirror the protections that already exist in the House. They would extend to ALL individuals working with Members, Officers, or employees of the Senate, including outside contractors, lobbyists, and visitors.

The passage of SR 5 would mean that ANYONE working with the Senate in ANY capacity will be protected—it shouldn’t matter where your paycheck comes from or which side of the building you’re on.

SR 5 didn't get a vote in January. Instead it was referred to the Rules Committee, where it hasn't had a discussion, a hearing, or a vote for 9 months. No member of the Committee has had a conversation with me about how we could get this done. No alternative rules have been proposed.

I stand by ready and willing to have a discussion about how we finally pass rules to help protect victims of sexual harassment here in the Senate.

I Voted

Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania!

Governor Shapiro implemented Pennsylvania automatic voter registration on September 19, 2023! Now Commonwealth residents who obtain new or renewed driver licenses and ID cards and are eligible to vote will automatically be taken through the voter registration application process with an option to opt out. Previously, eligible voters were required to opt into the voter registration process. Instructions for the process will also now include 30 additional languages.

Pennsylvania joins 22 other states - including Delaware, Mayland, New Jersey, Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia - whose leaders from both parties took this step to promote election security, save taxpayers time and money, and increase voter turnout.

Automatic voter registration is particularly beneficial to military families who move frequently. Automatic updates to their voter registration during PennDOT visits ensure these families are able to participate in US elections no matter where they are stationed.

For local election officials, receiving automatic updates when residents obtain new identification – which residents usually do when they change their name or address – enhances their ongoing efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls and distributes their workload evenly over the four-year election cycle. Electronic registrations recorded at drivers license centers are also more secure and take a fraction of the time compared to processing paper applications.

Automatic voter registration should increase voter participation in Pennsylvania which, as of December 2022, had 1.6 million eligible residents who were not registered to vote. Multiple studies, like a 2019 Brennan Center for Justice Study and a 2021 study by the Public Policy Institute of California, show the states that implement automatic registration see marked increases in the number of eligible voters added to the voter rolls and appreciable increases in voter turnout.

Pennsylvanians will still be able to register to vote or update their information online, with a paper application or at a county election office in addition to automatic voter registration at PennDOT license centers.

For more information about Pennsylvania voter registration go to How to Register to Vote (pa.gov).

Fall Leaves

Plan your Leaf Peeping Trip Now!

Did you know Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state in the nation -- or anywhere in the world? There are only three regions of the world that support deciduous forests that display fall autumn color - Eastern North America, The British Isles and parts of northwestern Europe, and Northeastern China and northern Japan - and PA offers the longest window to enjoy those brilliant colors!

Foliage began turning this week and it takes some planning to be sure you don’t miss the October color peak in your favorite spot. To time your upcoming “leaf peeping” trip use the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) Weekly Fall Foliage Reports (pa.gov) and their interactive fall foliage story map of prime fall leaf locations. The first DCNR fall foliage report came out this week (see above) and will be updated every week throughout the month.

To add a hike to your fall plans there are over 1200 miles of Pennsylvania trails listed at ExplorePaTrails.

To add a fall festival or experience to your plans, go to visitPA.com.

AARP Volunteers Needed for the 2024 Tax Season!

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is looking for individuals to volunteer virtually or in person in a variety of roles to provide help to taxpayers. Volunteers come from a variety of industries & span from retirees to college students. AARP provides the training, support, and volunteers gain new skills while helping those in need!

Volunteers can participate in-person or virtually for the following roles:

Client Facilitator
Tax Counselor
Technology Coordinator
Leadership & Administrative Volunteer
Communications Coordinator
Bilingual Interpreter

Learn more about volunteering online or call 1-888-AARP-NOW (1-888-227-7669).

The All of Us Research Program Needs You!

The All of Us Research Program is a National Institutes of Health funded research program that is building the most diverse health database in history! The program hopes to include one million people across the U.S. from all backgrounds. Researchers will use the data to learn how our biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health and help find ways to treat and prevent disease. Volunteers receive a $25 gift card after enrolling in the program.

To learn more and enroll go to All of Us Research Program | National Institutes of Health (NIH).

October 14 & 21 Clean
ups in McCandless!

October 14 & 21 Clean ups in McCandless!

If you don’t like seeing litter in our communities, be a part of the solution and join the Town of McCandless’ Environmental Advisory Committee for their spring roadside cleanup dates on October 14th and 21st starting at 8:30 a.m.

Roadside beautification builds community spirit, protects receiving waters (especially Pine Creek), increases property values, and makes McCandless an example of a community that cares.

Safety vests, gloves and bags will be available for participants. Participants will meet in the Powers Room in Town Hall (9955 Grubbs Road) at 8:30 a.m. for a continental breakfast before heading out.

Indigenous People' Day

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

Senator Lindsey Williams