Upcoming
Events
My
office is now scheduling AARP Tax-Aide appointments!
It’s tax season and the AARP Tax-Aide Program is up and running
at the Shaler Undercliff Fire Company and the Ross Township Community
Center. This program provides free tax preparation services to low-
and moderate-income taxpayers, with an emphasis on those 50 or older.
To schedule your free appointment, please call the office at
412-364-0469.
For more information, visit AARP
Tax-Aide Allegheny County, PA (taxaide-pittsburgh.com).
In-Person
VSO Appointments Available!
My office offers
American Legion Veterans Service Officer (VSO) appointments every 3rd
Tuesday of the month from 9 am - 1 pm! Appointments will rotate
between my district offices each month.
Upcoming Dates:
- Tuesday, February 20, Natrona Heights office, 1826 Union
Avenue, Natrona Heights, PA 15065
- Tuesday, March 19, Ross
Township office, 5000 McKnight Road, Suite 405, Pittsburgh, PA
15237
Whether you have a question or just need a fresh
review of the benefits you’ve earned, call or email our office
to schedule a one-on-one appointment: 412-364-0469 (Ross) 724-224-2131
(Harrison). Appointments fill up quickly!
Good News
Whole Home
Repair Program Success
Last week, elected
officials from across Allegheny County and the state joined together
to learn about the successes and lessons from the first year of the
Whole Home Repairs Program, which provides grants and forgivable loans
to low-income families and seniors to complete repairs on their homes.
These repairs focus on habitability and safety for residents.
I'm incredibly proud of this Program and the work it has done in
keeping families and neighborhoods safe while creating jobs for local
residents. I was pleased to hear Governor Shapiro include additional
state funding for Whole Home Repairs in his 2024-25 Budget Address and
I look forward to advocating for more funding in the coming years!
Thank you to Kelly and Mo Scatena and family for welcoming us to
your beautiful home and for sharing your story with all of
us.
Democrats
urge state lawmakers to put new funding into Whole Home Repairs
program – Pennsylvania Capital-Star
(penncapital-star.com)
Public
Sector OSHA
Did you know that public sector
employees who work for government agencies in Pennsylvania
aren’t protected by Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) standards? Under OSHA, employers are required to
provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing, or
are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to
employees.
In 2020, state and local public sector
employers reported an injury rate 44% higher than private
sector workers who are covered by OSHA. This week, I stood with my
colleagues and members of our public sector unions to advocate for the
Senate to pass Public Sector OSHA legislation. This legislation has
already passed the House of Representatives, so it is now up to the
Senate to send this legislation to the Governor and protect all
Pennsylvania workers.
2024-25 Budget Address
The 2024-25 Budget
Season kicked off this week with the Annual Governor’s Budget
Address. Due to necessary repairs being made in the House Chamber,
members of the House of Representatives and Senate gathered for the
first time ever in the Main Rotunda to hear Governor Josh Shapiro
deliver his Budget Address. Thank you to all of the Department of
General Services employees who worked tirelessly to ensure a seamless
experience for everyone attending!
You can watch the video of
Gov. Shapiro’s budget address, read proposed legislation, and
watch upcoming budget hearings on my website at SenatorLindseyWilliams.com/budget.
Budget hearings begin on Tuesday, February 20!
Black
History Month
February is Black History Month, and
each week we will feature individuals making history in
Pittsburgh’s artistic community today and in its storied past.
This week we are highlighting Billy Strayhorn, the Kelly Strayhorn
Theater in East Liberty that bears his name, and Staycee Pearl, who
got her start at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
The Kelly
Strayhorn Theater
The Kelly Strayhorn
Theater (KST) is named for two 20th century legends: Gene Kelly, famed
dancer and East Liberty native and Homewood-born jazz composer, Billy
Strayhorn. Their passionate, creative spirit and love of their craft
still inspire today’s artists and programs. The theater’s
mission is to provide a home for creative experimentation, community
dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and
queer people. We are incredibly lucky to have this cultural and
artistic resource right here in Senate District 38!
KST was
founded over 20 years ago in the old Regent Theater, the last of the
nine 1950’s era theaters in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty
neighborhood. The theater contributed to the eventual transformation
of East Liberty into the extraordinary arts and entertainment
destination it is today.
There are two KST venues, both
located on Penn Avenue. KST’s Alloy Studios is a cultural hub at
the intersection of Friendship and East Liberty and the historic Kelly
Strayhorn Theater is located in the thriving business district of East
Liberty.
For information on KST history, events,
classes, workshops, and programs go to Kelly
Strayhorn Theater | Pittsburgh, PA (kelly-strayhorn.org).
Billy
Strayhorn
Do you know about the close
decades-long collaboration between jazz-great Duke Ellington and
Pittsburgh’s own Billy Strayhorn? Strayhorn was openly gay and
preferred to remain behind the scenes, which meant the general public
did not know he composed dozens of Ellington’s most famous songs
including "Take the 'A' Train," "Lush Life," "Something to Live For,"
and "My Little Brown Book."They collaborated so closely that
musicologists find it hard to tell where one’s influence ends
and the other’s begins. Pittsburgh produced many jazz legends
and Billy Strayhorn is one of its hidden gems!
Staycee
Pearl
Many Black Pittsburgh artists get their start
at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST), including Choreographer Staycee
Pearl. Her Staycee
Pearl Dance Project and SOY SOS began as an informal
incubator for movement at KST and has grown into a dance company that
celebrates the full range of Black culture. Classes are held at
KST’s Alloy Studios and you can see company performances here in
Pittsburgh and at venues across the country.
Child &
Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit Expanded
Tax
season is here and families can expect a larger return thanks to the
enactment of Pennsylvania’s Child
and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit last year. This
expansion is expected to deliver critical relief to roughly 210,000
families in PA. The expansion allows individuals to claim 100% of the
existing federal childcare tax credit on their 2023 Pennsylvania
returns - a 60% increase over last year!
In 2022, the
first Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit was passed with
a 30% match of the federal childcare tax credit ($180 to $360 for one
dependent, $315 to $630 for multiple dependents). The 2023 expansion
tripled the tax credit and was finalized in the state budget in
December, just in time for families to reap the benefit for this
year’s tax season. Now families making $43,000 or less will
receive a maximum state credit of $1,050 for one child, and $2,100 for
two children. Families earning more than $43,000 will see a maximum
tax credit of $600 for one child, and $1,200 for two children.
To learn more about the the tax credit expansion and if your family
qualifies go to: Child
and Dependent Care Credit (pa.gov)
2024 Trout
Stocking Schedule Available!
The Pennsylvania
Fish and Boat Commission has released the 2024 Adult Trout
Stocking Schedule! Check out when the local streams and lakes will be
stocked and plan your season accordingly here: PFBC
Adult Trout Stockings (pa.gov)
The PA Fish and
Boat Commission R3 Grant Program is Open!
Calling
all river organizations! Applications are open for the PA Fish and
Boat Commission’s Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3)
Grant Program. This grant provides funding support for educational
opportunities that benefit anglers and boaters. The R3 grant will
reimburse qualifying organizations up to $25,000 for eligible expenses
for projects conducted from approximately July 1, 2024, through June
30, 2025. The grant requires a minimum 25% match of total
project costs.
The R3 deadline is March 1,
2024.
More information about the grant program,
including the application, can be found on the PFBC
R3 grant program page.
Boating Safety
Course Next Saturday
Get a jump on the 2024 boating
season by enrolling in the PA Fish and Boat Commission’s FREE
Boating Safety Education Certificate Course on Saturday, February 17,
2024, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at the Carnegie Science Center! See
graphic above for details.
You can read more
about the course and register at: Event - Basic
Boating - February 17, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA
(register-ed.com)
Upcoming
February and March PHEAA Webinars
Advanced Planning for Financing Higher Education
Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Noon
Tuesday, February 20,
202 at 6:30pm
The thought of Higher Education costs can be
overwhelming, but planning and identifying what you can do to help
lessen those costs is an important step. It’s never too early or
too late to start understanding what those costs are and what is
available to help maintain, plan, and help you make affordable
decisions. Join Dan Wray and Suzanne Sparrow of PHEAA’s PA
Forward Private Loan Program in a one-hour webinar to begin that
process and become prepared.
Searching for
Scholarships and Affording the Balance
Thursday,
February 8, 2024 at 6:30pm
Thursday, February 22, 2024 at
Noon
There are many ways to pay for education, and one
important step is to search and apply for Scholarships. More free
money equals less borrowing. This presentation will review the types
of options available, along with tips on applying. It will also offer
samples of fun scholarship options to get you started. We’ll
then review what to do about the balances that might be left over in
order to make affordable higher education decisions. Join Suzanne
Sparrow and Daniel Wray of PHEAA’s PA Forward Private Loan
Program for an hour of detailed information on this topic.
Refinancing Education Debt – is it right for
me
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 6:30pm
Join us
for this informative one-hour webinar on refinancing education
debt. Current or previous students of any age with student loans
may be overwhelmed with their current repayment options or are moving
closer to the repayment phase and wonder if refinance may be a better
solution. PHEAA, represented by Dan Wray and Suzanne Sparrow of
the PA Forward Private Loan Program, will explain the pros and cons,
availability of programs and help those interested in understanding
more about this topic.
Financial Aid Timeline –
Financial Aid Timeline - Know what to do when
Thursday, March 7, 2024 at Noon
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at
6:30pm
This one-hour presentation will provide the starting
points and web resources for effective research before, during and
after your student makes post-secondary decisions. The journey
will begin before high school and end in the land of understanding
choices. One thing is certain – it’s never too early
to start planning for a successful higher education experience.
Join PHEAA’s Suzanne Sparrow and Dan Wray of the PA Forward
Private Loan program as they guide you along the exciting, and
sometimes bumpy, road to planning for an affordable education.
Knowing what to expect and to plan for it is the key, as Failing to
plan, is Planning to fail!
To register for any of these
webinars to to: https://www.pheaa.org/virtual.
You may be
Eligible for Allegheny County's Lead Safe Homes Program
The Allegheny Lead Safe Homes Program, which offers
qualifying homeowners and renters in Allegheny County free lead-paint
testing and remediation, is looking for applicants to fill their queue
for 2024! See the graphic above for eligibility and application
information.
Street Skate in Etna
Don't glide through winter without putting Borough
of Etna's Street Skate in your calendar. Sunday, February 25th on
Butler Street between 2pm-6pm. Free and open to all!
Block Captains
Needed for Community Service Day in the East End
The
Kingsley Association is looking for volunteers to guide
different cleanup efforts around East Liberty and Larimer on Thursday,
March 7th. You can make a difference by volunteering to be a block
captain in your community!
Register at: March
7th Community Day! Sign Up Form (office.com).
