Getting Ready for the 2024 General Election!

On September 12th, I will be hosting my next Demystifying Harrisburg event on the upcoming 2024 General Election! (see details below). We’ll start our weekly newsletter over the next few weeks with relevant election information to get you thinking about voting questions that you might have. It is never too early to start thinking about and planning your vote!

Demystifying Harrisburg: Election 2024 Edition

Thursday, September 12, 2024, 6-7:30pm, Powers Room, McCandless Town Hall

To cut through all the noise around the upcoming General Election, we're hosting Demystifying Harrisburg: Elections. Demystifying Harrisburg is our ongoing informational series designed to help people better understand their government and how to be more informed and engaged citizens.

Hear from state and county officials about the ins and outs of the election process. This knowledge will empower you to cast your ballot confidently, whether by mail or at the voting booth. Get equipped to share accurate information with your friends and neighbors, becoming a trusted source in your community!

You can register for the event and submit questions in advance at Demystifying Harrisburg - Senator Lindsey Williams.

Accurate Information Empowers Voters!

You know our votes matter because bad actors continue to spend millions of dollars on targeted ads and false information to sway voters or even prevent them from voting. Unfortunately, well-meaning users reshare this content, unaware the information is false.

The Pennsylvania Department of State recommends the following before you share information on social media:                                

• Rely only on trusted, official sources of information, such as vote.pa.gov and help inform others.
• Follow @PAStateDept and @PAStateSec on Twitter and @PADepartmentofState on Facebook.

The right to vote is one of our most profound rights and duties as citizens. Pennsylvania voters deserve to cast their ballots with accurate information, decide for themselves, and have their voices heard. We can all do our part by checking before we share on social media relying on trusted sources we see on social media!

Good News

Shaler Boys Volleyball Champions Honored by PA Senate and House

Congratulations to the Shaler Area School District State Champion Boys Varsity Volleyball team!  Rep. Lindsay Powell and I were able to recognize this impressive group of young men (who, as Coach Stadelman pointed out, have a cumulative 3.8 GPA on top of being State Champs), their coaches, and their families last week.

This is an incredibly impressive team and family, and I wish all the best in their next steps. A special good luck to the 12 graduated seniors who are off to start their college journeys in the next few weeks!

Visit to Acrospire Brewing Co. in Shaler

I stopped by Acrospire Brewing Co. last Wednesday! It was my first visit, but I'll definitely be back for a food truck evening or one of their special events. Check out their website for more details: Acrospire Brewing Company

Shop with a Cop!

Thank you to the PA State Police, Rep. Emily Kinkead, Macy’s, and all of our local Allegheny County police departments who made Saturday's Shop with a Cop event possible at the Ross Park Mall Macy's! Our local students each got the chance to shop for a fresh start to the school year with backpacks, supplies, and a wardrobe update. This is such a fun annual event and I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of it.

East Deer Community Day

We teamed up with Rep. Mandy Steele and Congressman Deluzio to offer folks resources from the federal and state level for East Deer’s Community Day on Saturday. This event had something for everyone: foam party and bounce house for the kids, carnival games, homemade gifts, yummy food, live music, and much more. It was great to talk to people in the community and we will be back next year!

Legislative Update

Universal School Meals

As students head back to school, I’m grateful that Pennsylvania’s Universal Free Breakfast program is continuing through the 2024-25 school year. This ensures that every student has access to a free, nutritious breakfast every morning so that they can start their school day fed, fueled, and ready to learn!

It’s time to build on this success and extend the Universal School Meals program to include lunch. I’m proud to be the prime sponsor of legislation that will make that possible.  Senate Bill 180 will provide free school meals to all students who are not already covered through the federal free and reduced-price-meal and Community Eligibility Provision programs. It will also eliminate existing school lunch debt so both schools and families can begin next school year with a fresh start.

 

We’ve got breakfast covered—now it’s time for lunch. You can support the School Meals for All campaign by visiting snapa.org/mealsforall.

News You Can Use

Gun Safety SMART Week is August 26-30, 2024

Securing firearms is one of the best ways to keep our schools and communities safe from gun violence. To make this the safest school year yet, the first annual SMART Week will be from August 26-30, 2024.

Be SMART is a non-profit educational program that promotes secure gun storage to 

prevent kids under 18 and other unauthorized users from accessing guns. During SMART Week adults and caretakers are encouraged to “Be SMART” and take simple steps to protect children and communities by:

• Securing all guns in homes and vehicles
• Modeling responsible behavior around guns
• Asking* about the presence of unsecured firearms in other homes your child visits
• Recognizing the role of guns in suicide
• Telling your peers to Be SMART

For information on SMART Week resources, secure gun storage, and more go to SMART Week | Be SMART (besmartforkids.org).

 

Insect-Borne Illness Prevention

Insects are essential to a healthy ecosystem, but unfortunately, we humans need to protect ourselves from two insects that sometimes carry diseases that could make us sick: black-legged ticks and mosquitoes.

This summer, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced that the first human cases of Powassan Virus and West Nile Virus were reported. Powassan is spread by black-legged ticks, the same ticks that cause Lyme disease. West Nile Virus is spread by infected mosquitoes. While not everyone experiences symptoms of these diseases, symptoms can be severe and could lead to serious health problems. 

We’ve shared tips on how to protect yourself from ticks and mosquitos in the graphics above, but want to make everyone aware that there is a relatively simple way to reduce the mosquito population - eliminate the standing water they breed in around our homes. Talk to your neighbors and look around your own home for places water collects. It only takes one ounce of water for a mosquito to lay her eggs! Complaints to ACHD regarding properties with stagnant water can be reported here.  

ACHD recommends that individuals who exhibit the symptoms of West Nile Virus or believe they may have been bitten by a tick and exposed to a tick-borne disease should contact their healthcare provider.

Read more at: 

First Human Case of Powassan Virus Disease in Allegheny County (govdelivery.com)

First Human Case of West Nile Virus in Allegheny County in 2024 - Allegheny County, PA

Your Town Can Be a Bird Town

I went on a nature walk last September at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s  Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve and learned there has been a nationwide loss of more than 3 billion birds since the 1970s. Now, there is something tangible we can do about it! 

Bird Town Pennsylvaniais a state-wide, grassroots, municipal-level conservation program partnered with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Since 2011, it’s worked with over 50 municipalities to develop bird friendly communities, reinforce the important role people play in supporting bird populations, enhance habitat, reduce threats to birds, and create a positive impact on the environment.

Reach out to your township officials and let them know about the program and Bird Town Pennsylvania will help them get things started. Your community will be committing to support positive change for birds and wildlife! 

Learn more about Bird Town Pennsylvania here: http://aswp.org/pages/birdtown.

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