State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, Your District 38
Update

*

*Supreme Court Update**

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Supreme
Court Sides with Starbucks Coffee Company over the NLRB*

As someone
who was illegally fired for attempting to form a staff union and who
had to go to the National Labor Relations Board to uphold my rights,
I'm appalled but not surprised by last week's Supreme Court decision
ruling in favor of corporate interests over workers.

I have proudly
supported Pittsburgh area Starbucks workers since the beginning of
their organizing campaign. While the Court's decision makes it harder
for workers to keep their jobs while their employers break the law,
workers will continue to organize and fight back against the
corporations who make it harder for them to do their jobs with
dignity.

Read my full statement here:
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[link 1]

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*Upcoming Events**

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*July Community Days!*

Summer is in full swing, and we are excited
about attending Community Days in Hampton, Springdale, and Larimer in
July! We're looking forward to enjoying some fireworks, bands, car
shows, fun food, kids' activities, health clinics and more! Stop by
our table for resources, questions, or to share what is important to
you with Senator Williams. Hope to see you there!

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*

*Good
News**

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*Ross
Township's First Pride Celebration!*

On June 9th, we had the pleasure
of joining Rep. Kinkead's office at Ross Township's first Community
Pride event. Thank you to all of the hard-working organizers that made
this event a great success. Looking forward to attending next
year!

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*Fox
Chapel Pride in the Park*

We also joined Rep. Steele's staff for the
annual Fox Chapel Pride in the Park at Allegheny RiverTrail Park in
Aspinwall. It was a beautiful evening on the river and a great turn
out for this yearly party!* *

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*It's
Time to Fully Fund our Public Schools*

Last week, the House passed HB
2370 [link 2], landmark legislation that begins to address the
Commonwealth Court's ruling that our schools are underfunded and
unfairly funded-- a ruling that affirmed what teachers, students, and
families already knew. This is a step towards giving every student in
Pennsylvania the comprehensive, effective, and contemporary public
education that they are constitutionally entitled to.

I'm calling on
my Senate colleagues to take up HB 2370. While I don't believe this
bill goes far enough, it gets us on the road to compliance and stands
in stark contrast to Senate Republicans' inaction since the Court's
order over a year ago.

This is our unfinished business. This is our
constitutional-- and moral-- obligation to our students, our families,
and our future.

Education funding reform bill passes Pa. House as
Senate school voucher plan waits in the wings ? Pennsylvania
Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com) [link 3]

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*Welcoming NEW Leadership Pennsylvania and Intern Abby to
Harrisburg*

Earlier this month, I had the chance to speak with the
NEW Leadership Pennsylvania conference, an intensive, six-day,
leadership and public policy institute designed to educate and empower
young women for future political participation and leadership. The
program addresses the under-representation of women in the political
arena by focusing on the role of women in politics and policy making
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Program's staff also
included our incredible office intern, Abby DiLoreto, who we're
thrilled is staying on for the summer! After participating in the
Program back in 2022, Abby has been helping empower other young women
by working as an Outreach and Communications Assistant at the Center
for Women and Politics. She started her internship with us at the
beginning of this year and has been an incredible help in my office
with constituent services, especially as we navigated our annual tax
preparation appointment scheduling and senior bus pass renewals. Her
help during that time was absolutely invaluable and I'm not sure we
would have survived without her!

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*

*Legislative
Update**

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*My Boating Safety Bill Moves to the Senate Floor!*

Last
week, Senate Bill 976 [link 5] passed through the Senate Game and
Fisheries Committee by a vote of 10-1. This legislation will allow the
Fish and Boat Commission to promulgate rules that require boating
safety education for users of personal electric motored watercraft
like efoils and jetboards, bringing Pennsylvania law in line with U.S.
Coast Guard regulations. The bill now advances to the floor for
consideration by the full Senate.

With the growing market of
motorized personal watercraft available now, combined with statewide
efforts to restore our waterways and reconnect to our riverfronts,
more and more people are enjoying time on the water every year. As a
member of the Game and Fisheries Committee and the Port of Pittsburgh
Board of Commissioners, I'm excited to see the Senate take a step
towards implementing these updates, which will help keep everyone safe
as they enjoy Pennsylvania's endless opportunities for water and river
recreation.

You can see my full remarks introducing the bill in
Committee here [link 6]!

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*Do You Have Unclaimed Property in the Pennsylvania
Treasury?*

The Pennsylvania Treasury Department [link 9] returned a
record $274 million in unclaimed property in fiscal year 2022-23. If
you haven't searched your name on PA Treasury's website, you
should.
One in 10 Pennsylvanians has unclaimed property, and the
average claim is worth about $1,600!

Unclaimed property can be from a
variety of places including dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks,
utility refunds, stock earnings, and insurance policies that are sent
to the PA Treasury because they were lost, forgotten, or lay inactive
for a period of time defined by Pennsylvania law. Unclaimed property
can also be tangible goods, including jewelry or other valuables
stored in abandoned safe deposit boxes. Tangible goods are held for
three years, then auctioned, and claimants are entitled to the auction
proceeds in perpetuity.

To search for unclaimed property, go to
Unclaimed Property (patreasury.gov) [link 10] and enter your first and
last name and those of your family members. If you need help searching
or if you do have unclaimed property, our office can help! We will
print the forms you need, help fill them out, including free
notarization if required, and submit the paperwork for you.

Call our
office at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison) or email us
at [email protected] [link 11] with your questions
or to make an appointment.

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*Reminder: Allegheny Go Program Offers 50% Discount on PRT
Fares to SNAP/EBT Recipients*

If you receive SNAP/EBT in Allegheny
County, be sure you've applied for AlleghenyGo [link 13], which
discounts transit fares by 50% for the entire family!

Riders should
download PRT's Ready2Ride app from the Apple App Store or Google
Play.

Store before applying at
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applicants will be able to purchase discounted fares within their app.
The program is starting with smartphone users but will be available
without an app in 2025 when PRT launches its new smartcards.

If you
have questions about downloading Ready2Ride or the application
process, contact PRT Customer Service at 412-442-2000, on
Twitter@pghtransitcare [link 15], or via live chat at www.rideprt.org
[link 16].



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*StoryCorps is Coming to Pittsburgh June 15-28,
2024!*

Everyone has a story to tell and next week you have the
opportunity to tell yours! StoryCorps, a national oral history
project, is stopping in Pittsburgh to record in-person or virtual
interviews in conjunction with Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corp.
and 90.5 WESA.

In a StoryCorps interview, two people record a
conversation with one another about who they are, what they've learned
in life, and how they want to be remembered. If you are nervous, don't
worry, a trained StoryCorps facilitator guides you through the
interview process.

After each 40-minute recording session,
participants receive a digital copy of their interview. With
participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American
Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to
hear.

For information about reservations to record, call StoryCorps'
24-hour toll-free line at 1-800-850-4406 or visit storycorps.org [link
18].

You can read more about StoryCorps coming to Pittsburgh at:
StoryCorps partners with PCBC and 90.5 WESA to preserve Pittsburgh's
stories | 90.5 WESA [link 19].

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*Allegheny
Grows - Start a Community Food Garden in Your Municipality!*

Grow
Pittsburgh [link 20] supports new garden groups with the skills and
materials they need to start thriving community gardens through a
program called Allegheny Grows funded by Allegheny County Economic
Development [link 21].

*Eligibility:*

Potential gardens must be in
Allegheny County and on public property owned by a municipality or
non-profit. Privately owned properties, even if vacant, are not
eligible. Use the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal [link 22] to
search for parcel ownership information.

Your group must include at
least six motivated and organized people and be sponsored by a local
organization. This is not a cash grant -- this program provides staff
time and materials over two years to support garden start-up
efforts.

New gardens outside the city of Pittsburgh may apply to the
Allegheny Grows program if the potential garden site is located in an
area eligible for Community Development Block Grant funds.
*Resources:*

-
Allegheny Grows program [link 23]

-
Community
Garden Program Frequently Asked Questions [link 24]

-
Community
Garden Guide [link 25]

-
Current and Graduated Gardens [link 26]

-
Webinar info session [link 27]
[link 28]

The application packet,
which also includes detailed timelines and instructions on the
program, is available here [link 29] and is due *Friday, August 2,
2024*. Download the application for a fillable PDF.

For questions or
assistance, contact Dora Walmsley, Director of Community Projects, at
412-362-4769 x 213 or [email protected] [link 30].

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[link 31]

*Summer Arts Grants*

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
is opening two arts and culture grants this summer for artists and
arts organizations in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene and Washington
counties!

-
The new Artist Income Recovery (AIR) Grant [link
32].
This grant is for artists who lost income during the pandemic.
The grant will provide 80 individual artists and arts & culture
professionals with a one-time $3,000 grant. Applications open on July
1, 2024 and close on August 1, 2024.

-
The Creative Sector Flex
Fund [link 33]. This grant is for leaders of arts organizations which
provides $5000 grants to arts organizations with average annual
revenues between 10,000-$200,000. Applications open on August 5, 2024
and close on September 2, 2024.

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
provides grant application tips at: How to Apply for an Arts Grant
[link 34].

For more information on these grants and to make
arrangements for application assistance go to Coming This Summer:
Grant Opportunities for Artists and Arts Organizations | Greater
Pittsburgh Arts Council [link 35]. You can also contact Mona Wiley,
Program Specialist [link 36], or call 412-391-2060 ext. 226 with grant
questions.

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*Highland
Park and Bloomfield Pools Open Saturday, June 15, 2024!*

It is HOT
out there but thankfully Pittsburgh's CitiParks pools opened on
Saturday! Senate District 38 has two CitiParks pools - one in Highland
Park and one in Bloomfield. See graphic above for details. Happy
summer!

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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 37] (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 [link
38] (Harrison Office) or by email at
[email protected] [link 39]. 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
Monday ? Friday 9-5

Harrison
Office
1826 Union Avenue
Natrona Heights, PA 15065
Phone:
724-224-2131
Fax: 724-224-2145
Monday ? Thursday 9-5

Harrisburg
Office
366 Capitol Building
Senate Box 203038
Harrisburg, PA
17120-3038
Phone: 717-787-6538
Fax: 717-787-8625
By appointment
only


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