Upcoming Events

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, March 19, Ross Township office, 5000 McKnight Road, Suite 405, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
• Tuesday, April 16, Natrona Heights office, 1826 Union Avenue, Natrona Heights, PA 15065

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!

Free Screening: Local 1196: A Steelworkers Strike
GQT Movies at Pittsburgh Mills, Thursday, March 21, 6:30 pm

“The old American dream just seems to be gone,” says Walt Hill, the Contract Coordinator for Local 1196 in the steel town of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania.

In March of 2021, the steelworkers of USW 1196 struck, citing unfair labor practices. From late night conversations on the picket lines, to fiery debates at the union hall, to the homes of the members, the documentary film “Local 1196” takes the viewer on the ground during a steelworkers strike in the town of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania.  As days on strike turn to weeks, and weeks to months, union leaders realize they’re playing with a short stack. Will they be able to stick together? As Walt says in the film, “I think that this fight shows that, at least here, we’re fighting back.”

Local 1196 is an Official Selection film festival across the country and has broadcast on a series of PBS channels. Come check it out on the big screen on Thursday, March 21 at 6:30 pm at GQT Movies at Pittsburgh Mills!

Tickets are free, but space is limited. To reserve your free ticket (popcorn and pop included), please register at: tinyurl.com/local1196.

Spring Shredding Events

Are you getting a head start on your spring cleaning? Protect your identity by shredding documents that contain personal information such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, or bank account information.

There is a limit of two bankers boxes per car at each event (for reference, a bankers box is about the size of a microwave). Only paper will be accepted– please remove all metal fasteners other than staples! Shredding will be performed on site.

**UPDATED TIME AND LOCATION** Our first event will be with Rep. Emily Kinkead on Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Ross Township Department of Public Works, 225 Cemetery Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

The second event will be with Rep. Lindsay Powell on Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM at Kiwanis Park, 399 Wetzel Road, Glenshaw, PA 15116.

Library Days with Lindsey!

Cooper-Siegel Community Library, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 10 AM - 2 PM

Join us for March’s Library Days with Lindsey at Cooper Siegel Community Library 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]. 

Expungement of Records and Clean Slate Workshop in Highland Park
5815 Bryant St, Pittsburgh, PA  15206, Wednesday, March 14, 2023, 6:30 – 7:30 pm

Join Senator Williams in Highland Park for a Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Expungement of Records and Clean Slate Workshop to learn about how to clear your record! 

Magistrate Judge Katherine Lovelace (Magisterial District 05-2-31) and Allegheny County Public Defender, Seth Barkley, Esq. will talk about how to navigate the process of expungement and clearing your record after a criminal incident, including a review of the documents required for completion and where to go to file these documents. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session. Advance registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Register at PMC Shares Workshop: Expungement of Records and Clean Slate | Allegheny County | Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts (pmconline.org) or scan the QR code above. 

Good News

Fish Fry Lunch at A.W. Beattie!

We kicked off Fish Fry season with a delicious lunch at A.W. Beattie Career Center's Training Restaurant at the end of February and highly recommend this delicious way to support a community asset. We also ran into some of our friends from the North Hills School Board!

For more information on A.W. Beattie’s restaurant, go to  Beattie Restaurant - A.W. Beattie Career Center (beattietech.com).

Fish Fry-days are a great way to support local businesses and organizations and you can find more locations at 2024 Pittsburgh Lenten Fish Fry Map (codeforpittsburgh.github.io).

Legislative Update

Supporting Our Teachers in Retirement

This week, I spoke with a group of retired members of the American Federation Teachers (AFT-PA) and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) about legislation that I am co-sponsoring that would provide a greatly needed cost of living adjustment (COLA) to their pensions. Under Pennsylvania law, legislation is required to provide a COLA for PA Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) retirees. Their last COLA went into effect over 20 years ago, making a new adjustment an urgent need.

I’m a co-sponsor on several bills that would both provide a necessary income increase to these individuals who spent their careers serving Pennsylvania’s students, including Senate Bill 863, Senate Bill 864, Senate Bill 951, Senate Bill 952, and Senate Bill 1029.

Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month and we are featuring some of Western PA’s finest each week! 

Sophie Masloff: Pittsburgh’s First and Only Woman Mayor

The Honorable Sophie Masloff was elected to Pittsburgh City Council in 1976 and was elected Council President in 1988. When Mayor Richard Caliguiri died later that year, she was appointed mayor and ran unopposed for a full term in 1989. She was the first woman and Jewish person to become mayor of Pittsburgh. 

Masloff was also the first public figure to suggest separate stadiums for Pittsburgh's football and baseball teams, a vision that was eventually realized with the building of PNC Park and Heinz Field. As a tribute to her vision and in honor of her 90th birthday in 2007, a street near PNC Park was named Sophie Masloff Way!

Helen Richey: Pittsburgh Pilot!

Helen Richey, born in McKeesport in 1909, was a groundbreaking female aviator. She set a women’s fueling endurance record at 237 hours and 42 minutes in 1933, and in 1936 she secured the women’s light plane altitude record co-piloting with Amelia Earhart in the Bendix race. Richey was also the first woman to be hired as a pilot by a commercial airline in the United States.

Help with Expanded 2023 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Applications!

We would like to remind our constituents that the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) was expanded last year and many more people will be eligible for the first time! If you are a senior or disabled adult and had less than $45,000 in income last year (only ½ of Social Security income counts for this calculation), you are eligible for a rebate of up to $1000 on the rent or property taxes you paid in 2023. See graphic above for details about the PTRR expansion.

There is still plenty of time to apply before the June 30, 2024 deadline and we are here to help. For an instruction booklet, questions about the program, or to make an in-person appointment to file your application online, call or email us at: 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131 (Harrison), or [email protected].

You will need the following documentation to file an online PTRR application with our office: 

• Proof of identity (first-time filers only)
• 2023 PA Rent Certificate form completed by your landlord (renters only)
• 2023 gross household income documents (Social Security statement, 1099-R, etc.)
• Paid county, municipal, and school district property tax receipts (homeowners only)
• Bank routing and account numbers (for rebate direct deposit)

The PA Department of Revenue also has a  new tool to locate in-person PTRR program assistance at Department of Revenue district offices, Area Agencies on Aging, or state legislators’ offices close to all Pennsylvania zip codes at Find In-Person Support (pa.gov).

Our offices help hundreds of individuals file for their rebates every year, and we constantly hear how much our neighbors rely on this program to help make ends meet. The PTRR expansion is an important first step in providing property tax relief to the most vulnerable among us. Don’t leave your rebate lying on the table!

To read more about the PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program or to apply on your own click here.

New Earn-As-You-Learn Farm Apprenticeship Grant!

The PA Department of Labor & Industry is inviting organizations to apply for grants up to $350,000 for earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship opportunities for those interested in agricultural occupations, including certified organic farmers.

About $700,000 in funding has been allocated to the PAsmart Supporting Pennsylvania’s Organic Agriculture through Registered Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships Grant Program.

The application deadline is Thursday, March 21st at 5pm. Click below to learn more!

https://www.dli.pa.gov/.../Work.../grants/Pages/default.aspx

March PHEAA Webinars

Planning for higher education? There are still opportunities this month to attend one of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency’s (PHEAA) webinars. See above for details.

Registration and more information are available at Financial Aid Webinars (pheaa.org).

Alert - the ACP Discount Likely to End May 1st!

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be winding down the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) by the end of April due to a lack of additional funding from Congress. If you currently participate in the ACP we strongly encourage you to check your eligibility for the Lifeline Program which you can read more about below.

The ACP pays $30/month toward a participant’s internet bills and was created in 2021 by the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Without renewed funding, the FCC projects that households enrolled in the ACP will receive the discount on their internet service through April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change. After the ACP ends, enrollees will no longer get the monthly internet discount or save on a device.

What should ACP participants do now?

• Please contact your internet company if you have questions about how the end of the ACP will affect your monthly bill and to ask about the options available to you.
• Check your email to see if you received a notice to recertify your existing benefit. If so, complete the process so you can keep your benefit until the ACP ends. If you don’t respond, you may lose your benefit before the funding runs out.
• Please visit AffordableConnectivity.gov for more information and for further updates regarding your ACP benefit. For ACP questions, email [email protected], or call us at (877) 384-2575. The support center is open 7 days a week, from 9:00am to 9:00pm ET.

After the ACP ends, are there other ways to save on internet service?

You may qualify for the Lifeline Program, a federal program that makes phone and internet service more affordable. You can enroll in Lifeline if:

• your income is at or below 135% of the 2023 federal poverty guidelines or 
• you (or someone in your household) participate in one of these programs:
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
  • Medicaid (Medical Assistance in PA)
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
• you qualify under the Tribal Assistance Program

What is the Lifeline monthly benefit?

• Up to $9.25 off the cost of phone, internet, or bundled services
• Up to $34.25 off the cost of phone, internet or bundled services if you live on Tribal Lands

Enroll in Lifeline at: Home - Universal Service Administrative Company (lifelinesupport.org).

Have ACP Questions?

Visit AffordableConnectivity.gov, email us at [email protected], or call us at (877) 384-2575. The support center is open 7 days a week, from 9:00am to 9:00pm ET.

PA Fish and Boat Commission Tackle Loaner Program

Interested in fishing but don't have a rod? You're in luck because the Pittsburgh region has five locations that participate in the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Tackle Loaner Program! All you need is a valid fishing license if you're over 16 to borrow rods and tackle. Be sure to bring your own bait and lures and you can enjoy a nice day at the lake with your family, friends, group, or peacefully solo. Email or call ahead to ensure availability.

Let's Go Fishing! PGH
Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Call for an appointment
Contact: Spencer Simon, [email protected], 412-361-7788

Anglers Fishing Club of Pittsburgh
Mount Horran Baptist Church, 2616 Brereton St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Appointments by phone or email
Contact: Edward H Caldwell, Jr., [email protected], 412-444-8313

Point State Park
601 Commonwealth Pl Bldg A, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1212
Appointments by phone or email
Contact: [email protected], 412-565-2850

Venture Outdoors
317 E Carson St #160, Pittsburgh,  PA 15219
Call for Appointment - Weds. May - Oct
Amanda Westerlund: [email protected], 412-255-0564 x 246

Cranberry Township Parks & Recreation Department
2525 Rochester Rd, Suite 400, Cranberry Twp, PA 16066
Mon-Thurs 8:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. / Fri 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. / Sat 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. / Sun 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Contact: Dave Hutner, [email protected], 724-779-4386 x1021

For more PFBC Tackle Loaner locations go to Tackle Loaner (arcgis.com).

If your organization is interested in becoming a Fishing Tackle Loaner location, please email the Fish and Boat Commission at [email protected]. 

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