Upcoming
Events
Senior Social
Pittsburgh Mills Mall, 590 Pittsburgh
Mills Circle, Tarentum
Thursday, May 23, Noon - 3:00
pm
Join us on Thursday, May 23 from 12:00 pm -
3:00 pm at Pittsburgh Mills Mall for an afternoon of music, dancing,
sweet and savory snacks from A.W. Beattie, and activities that will
help you learn more about staying happy and healthy!
Vintage,
Inc. will be providing Digital Navigation Services to help with your
smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
The PA Department of Banking
and Securities will be hosting their famous Fraud BINGO to keep you
informed on the latest ways to keep yourself and your money safe from
scammers.
The PA Department of Health and Military Affairs
will have a Veterans Service Officer there to answer questions about
the benefits you’ve earned through your service.
We hope
to see you there!
Property Tax/Rent Rebate Filing
Event
Shaler North Hills Library, 1822 Mt. Royal Boulevard,
Glenshaw, PA 15116
Friday, May 24, 10:00 am –
Noon
Rep. Lindsay Powell and I are co-hosting
a Property Tax/Rent Rebate Event at the Shaler North Hills Library on
Friday May 24 from 10:00 am until noon. For the first time in almost
20 years, the Property Tax/Rent Rebate has been expanded. Nearly
175,000 more Pennsylvanians now qualify for a rebate and the maximum
rebates available have nearly doubled.
The new income
eligibility threshold is $45,000 for both homeowners and renters. To
calculate income, only half of Social Security income is included.
At this event, we’re able to answer questions and help you
file for your rebate online! Please bring along your:
-
Proof of identity (first time filers only)
- Documentation
showing all income received in 2023, including Social Security income,
retirement funds, or other interest bearing accounts
- A
completed PA rent certificate (for renters only—please contact
our office if you need assistance obtaining this)
- Bank
account and routing information if you would like direct deposit
For homeowners only:
- Proof of payment/receipt
for Allegheny County taxes
- Proof of payment/receipt for
local municipality taxes
- Proof of payment/receipt for school
district taxes
Good News
Joining the
Teamsters’ Annual Convention
Last week,
I joined the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters for their 11th Area
Convention at Hotel Hershey. I was grateful for the invitation to
speak about my time working for the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters before I was elected to the Senate and about my continued
efforts to support all workers.
Every single person deserves a
union and the benefits it brings-- family sustaining wages, healthcare
and benefits, a pension, job security, and their union brothers and
sisters standing beside them. I will continue to fight for the rights
of working families here at home and in Harrisburg every day.
Congratulations to the North Allegheny
Girls Swim and Dive Team!
Congratulations to
the North Allegheny School District Girls' Swimming and Diving Teams
on their second consecutive PIAA championship this year! We were
thrilled to welcome the team to Harrisburg to recognize them for
another amazing season.
Recognizing
our Local EMTs for National Accreditation
Congratulations to McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority and
Ross West View EMSA on earning your national accreditation through the
Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS)! Only 182 EMS
agencies in the country meet these strict standards, which are
considered the "Gold Standard of the Ambulance Industry."
We
are incredibly lucky to have such amazing EMTs serving our communities
here in the North Hills and I'm grateful every day for the work they
do.
Film Tax
Credit
Thank you to the Ohio-Pittsburgh
chapter of SAG-AFTRA, IATSE Local 489 Studio Mechanics, and Teamsters
Local 249 Union Hall for coming to Harrisburg to talk about the Film
Tax Credit!
East
Liberty Family Health Care Center Meeting
I
had the pleasure to meet with Arsenial Runion, the new CEO of East
Liberty Family Health Care Center to discuss the incredible work that
ELFHCC is doing to meet the whole-person health needs of all people,
without regard to ability to pay.
I'm looking forward to
working with East Liberty Family Health Care Center and Mr. Runion as
they continue to provide the full array of care to those who are
uninsured, underinsured, and underserved.
2024 AARP
Tax-Aide Wrap Up
Tax season is our busiest
time of the year! On top of their regular casework, meetings, and
projects, our Constituent Relations Specialists field hundreds of
calls each week from January-April to book AARP tax appointments,
receive referrals, and get tax documents.
We love scheduling
free tax preparation appointments for the AARP's Ross and Shaler
locations. This is such a fantastic service, and by handling their
scheduling, the volunteers are able to focus their time on preparing
taxes for seniors!
Thank you to my staff for all of their hard
work this tax season. I'm constantly hearing how kind, compassionate
and helpful you are to our constituents!
*The AARP is always
looking for more volunteers. If you're interested, click Learn
How to Volunteer With AARP Foundation Tax Aide!
Legislative Update
Meeting our
Moral Obligation to Fund Public Education
During Teacher Appreciation Week this week, Senate Republicans
reintroduced legislation
that would establish a new voucher system.
It should come as
no surprise that I am opposed to vouchers or any other plan that
funnels taxpayer money to private and religious schools that
discriminate against students and families.
But as we begin
budget negotiations for the 2024-25 fiscal year, I want to be clear
that there is no trade for vouchers.
We
cannot trade away our constitutional obligation to provide a thorough
and efficient system of public education.
There is no
amount of Basic Education Funding, Higher Ed funding, site readiness
funding, or anything else that negates our constitutional, our court
ordered, or our moral obligation, to fund public
education.
https://penncapital-star.com/briefs/senate-education-committee-revives-school-voucher-program-at-the-center-of-last-years-budget-fight/
PA
Outdoor Recreation Survey!
It only takes 10
minutes to tell the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources (DCNR) about your favorite outdoor activities in
their Outdoor
Recreation Survey. Survey results, along with other data, will be
used to develop the 2025-2029 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor
Recreation Plan. Don’t miss this opportunity to speak up for
your outdoor priorities!
A draft plan will be written in early
fall and will be available for review and comment on DCNR’s
website. Then public feedback sessions will be scheduled to allow the
public, providers and interested stakeholders to give their input
before a final document is presented to the National Park Service in
early 2025. By creating a new comprehensive plan every five years,
Pennsylvania maintains its eligibility for federal Land and Water
Conservation funding.
To learn more about the current
statewide outdoor recreation plan and the process of preparing the
next plan visit www.dcnr.pa.gov.
To take the PA Outdoor Recreation Survey, click
here The survey is confidential and available in English or
Spanish. Deadline is May 22.
Low-Interest Loans Available for April
11-12, 2024 Southwestern PA Flood Damage and Related
Losses
If you suffered a loss due to the
flooding disaster on April 11-12, 2024, there are now loans available
to help! Governor Shaipiro’s request to the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) to issue a Disaster
Declaration for a number of southwestern Pennsylvania counties
including Allegheny County was approved last week, which opened up the
SBA’s Disaster
Loan Program.
These low-interest loans are for homeowners,
renters, private non-profits, and businesses located in
disaster-declared counties that have flood damage or losses. Loan
terms are up to 30 years and are based on each borrower’s
ability to pay.
- Homeowners: up to $500,000 to
replace or repair their primary residence.
-
Homeowners/Renters: up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal
property.
- Businesses/Private Non-profits: up to $2 million
to cover disaster losses not fully covered by insurance.
-
Small Businesses/Small Agricultural Cooperatives/Private Non-profits:
may be eligible for a SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).
For information and to apply for the Disaster Loan Program
there are several options:
U.S. Small Business Administration
Processing and Disbursement Center
14925 Kingsport Road
Fort Worth, TX 76155
- In-person: Disaster Loan Outreach
Center (DLOC) in Allegheny County, open until May 18 at 2
pm.
South Fayette Township Municipal
Building
100 Township Drive
Bridgeville, PA 15017
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sunday, CLOSED
The deadline to return disaster loan applications for physical
damages is June 28, 2024. The deadline to return
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications is January
29, 2025.
Affected homeowners and renters are
strongly encouraged to complete the SBA disaster loan application, as
those who do not qualify for an SBA loan may later be eligible for
other assistance. See the Commonwealth
Disaster Recovery Assistance Program.
Pittsburgh
Public Schools Grant Award
Congratulations to
Pittsburgh Public Schools! The Pennsylvania Department of Education
awarded PPS an $80,444 grant to purchase new food service equipment
for cafeterias.
Expanding the Universal School Meals program
to include school lunches is one of my top legislative priorities, and
I’m proud to be the prime sponsor of legislation that will do
just that. I’m happy to see our Districts getting the equipment
they need to ensure food can be safely prepared, stored, and
served.
PennDOT’s 2024 Young Ambassador
Program
The Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful are inviting 10th –
12th grade students to help keep Pennsylvania clean and
beautiful by participating in the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania
program!
The program builds community stewardship and civic
leadership by empowering youth to become ambassadors in their
community for a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Applicants should be
passionate about the environment and committed to restoring and
protecting Pennsylvania’s ecological landscape through
volunteerism and leadership.
Applications are being
accepted through June 10. Students will be chosen through a
competitive application process. For more information and how to apply
go to Young
Ambassadors of Pennsylvania - Keep PA Beautiful or contact Kylie
McCutcheon at 724-836-4121 x114 or [email protected].
You May
Qualify for the Lead Safe Homes Program!
The
Allegheny County Lead-Safe Homes Program offers qualifying homeowners
and renters in the County free lead-paint testing. If lead paint is
found, a certified lead-abatement contractor is hired to stabilize or
eliminate lead paint.
Learn more and see if you qualify:
Lead-Safe
Homes Program - Allegheny County, PA.
West
View Hub 5th Anniversary Celebration Dance
It's hard to believe that the West
View HUB is celebrating their 5-year anniversary! Their
programming each month is consistently packed with cool activities for
the whole family, and they've become an integral part of our
community. Join the celebration at their Anniversary Dance on
Saturday, June 1!
This event is FREE so grab your
dancing shoes and register at: HUB
Anniversary Dance RSVP (google.com)!
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
