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| Protecting Vaccine Access in PA I recently received this email from a constituent, concerned about access to Covid vaccines: “My wife and I are constituents. We are both over 65 and thus at greater risk of severe health complications from COVID. I am appalled at the current situation surrounding the availability of vaccines in Pennsylvania, we are urging you and your senate colleagues to pursue any avenue to make these life-saving vaccines available to both vulnerable and otherwise concerned citizens of Pennsylvania.. Support of Representative Venkat's bill or direct action by our Governor to address this unconscionable restriction is absolutely required of the legislators of this great state.” And they aren’t alone. People across Senate District 38 and Pennsylvania are concerned about the firing of vaccine experts at the CDC and HHS under the disastrous “leadership” of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and whether this will put access to safe and life-saving vaccines at risk. That’s why I’m co-sponsoring nurse and Senator Maria Collett and doctor and Rep. Arvind Venkat's “Protecting Vaccine Access in PA” legislation that would require insurance coverage for vaccines in Pennsylvania. I’m grateful that Governor Shapiro and the PA State Board of Pharmacy have taken action to protect Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines in the meantime. The Board’s recent action will allow PA pharmacists to follow the recommendations of other trusted authorities (like the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics), and administer vaccines under those guidelines. But with federal actions ever changing, today’s access isn’t a guarantee for the future. That’s why I’m joining the 1000+ current and former HHS staff who call on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy to resign. Between his attacks on people with disabilities, cuts to programs that keep infants and toddlers fed, and now his attacks on vaccines, enough is enough.
Upcoming Events Scare
Up a Few Costumes We are now accepting donations for our annual Halloween Costume Drive with North Hills Community Outreach! You can help make a little ghost, goblin, or princess’s holiday a little spookier or sweeter by donating your gently used or new Halloween costumes. Costumes will be distributed at North Hills Community Outreach’s coat annual coat distributions in October. Donations are accepted at our McKnight Road and Natrona Heights offices throughout the month of September! FREE
Shredding Event Join me at our FREE paper shredding event on September 20th! You can get rid of clutter and protect your personal information at the same time! Each car will be limited to two file-size boxes. Drivers are asked to remain in their cars and open their trunk. Our office staff will unload your boxes from your car and your documents will be immediately shredded on-site. Bags and boxes will be returned to your car after they are emptied. All you have to do is drive through and we will handle the rest! To avoid traffic issues, participants are requested to arrive NO EARLIER than 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. We will also be collecting Halloween costumes for our costume drive at this event! 6th
Annual Family Resource Fair! (Formerly our Community Baby
Shower Our Community Baby Shower is now the Family Resource Fair, but it is still the same heart-warming event! Please join Senator Lindsey Williams for the 6th annual Family Resource Fair on September 25th from 4pm-6pm at Paulson Playground and Spray Park, 1300 Paulson Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. The Family Resource Fair is for parents, grandparents, foster/kinship families, guardians, or anyone looking to start a family. Some of the organizations attending this year include Women for a Healthy Environment, Larimer Consensus Group, UPMC for You Dental, Pittsburgh Scholar House, Pittsburgh Fire Fighters’ Coats for Kids, Head Start, and many more. Hope to see you there! Questions? Call us at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison) or email us at [email protected]. Good News Small Pharmacies At
Risk Last week I had the chance to spend time with Kaitlyn from Russellton Palmer Pharmacy, who has been an amazing partner to our office by being a resource at our events and by helping me better understand the needs of our independent pharmacies. We spent time talking about how Medicaid and Medicare patients are still struggling to get their medications at reasonable prices here in Pennsylvania, and how Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are hurting neighborhood pharmacies. These small businesses are often a highly trusted healthcare provider-- organizing medications, watching for drug interactions, and providing routine vaccinations. But when they can't keep their doors open because they lose money on every prescription they dispense because of a rigged system, it's their customers and their patients who get hurt. This week, I joined the Pharmacy Caucus for a hearing on these issues. I was especially interested to hear about how our State Insurance Commissioner is working to enforce the new provisions of Act 77, which was passed into law last year. You can watch that full hearing on my website. Habitat Conservation at Deer Creek Park I had the chance to join the Fish and Boat Commission and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to see a habitat conservation project that they are working on in Deer Creek. This work will help reverse erosion in the creek caused by external forces, such as farming, forestry practices, transportation infrastructure, development and resource extraction. These habitat enhancements create overhead cover, hydraulic complexity, additional woody debris and scour holes for fish and other aquatic life, thus improving the overall habitat for aquatic life in the stream. NOTE: All work is done under appropriate permits from the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Magee Nurses Vote to Unionize! Congratulations to the nurses and advanced practitioners at Magee-Womens Hospital on their historic votes to unionize through SEIU Healthcare! Nurses are driven to care for their patients, and that often finds them at odds with our profit-driven healthcare industry. This vote to unionize is a step in the direction of putting patients over profits. It means that the nurses at Magee-Womens Hospital can take their seat at the table to demand better pay and safer conditions for themselves and for their patients. We’ve paid our nurses and advanced practitioners lip service by calling them “healthcare heroes” with no other acknowledgement of the work they do for far too long. It is long-past time that UPMC stop wasting resources on aggressive union busting efforts aimed at fighting and dividing employees. Patients, not profits, should be the number one priority of the region’s largest healthcare provider. These victories are a reminder that, when we fight, we win. We are stronger together. Congratulations to the new Magee-Womens Hospital union, and onward to the next steps! Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade! Last Monday, we celebrated Labor Day with our union brothers and sisters from across the region. Pittsburgh is a union town! Congratulations to our newest union members, the nurses and advanced practitioners from UPMC Magee Women's Hospital, who led off the parade! Glenmore Park Ribbon Cutting Last week, we celebrated the grand reopening of Glenmore Park in West View! I’ve been a resident of West View for more than 10 years now, and I love living here. I especially love our incredible park system, with opportunities for kids of all ages to play, explore, and grow outside. I was more than happy to support their DCED grant application to help fund these upgrades that give our kiddos somewhere new and safe to play. I know the kiddos in my family are especially excited about the new gaga ball pit, but there is something for everyone, with new swings, climbing structures, and shaded areas! We also took a moment to celebrate the retirement of West View Police Chief Bruce Fromlak. After 40 years of service, he is retiring from the department, but we’re fortunate to have him continuing on as our Borough Manager. Thank you, Chief, for all you do to keep West View safe, healthy, and a wonderful place to live!
Legislative UpdateDelayed PA Budget is Hurting Real People Like all of my colleagues, I am hearing from individuals, families, and organizations from across my Senate District and across the state who are reaching out to share how the legislature’s failure to do our job and pass a budget is hurting them. Sharing their stories, in their own words, is a powerful reminder that this budget is more than just numbers on a spreadsheet: it is parents and children, schools and libraries, life-saving services for our friends and neighbors. That’s why I was proud to share just a few of these stories on the Senate floor this week. From human service providers, Pre-K Counts families and providers, domestic violence and rape crisis centers and more, Pennsylvanians need us to pass a budget now. You can read some of these individual stories here, or watch video of my floor remarks below. News You Can Use Review Your School Bus Safety! School is back in session and bright yellow school buses with their flashing red stop signs are on our roadways again. This is the perfect time for a refresher on PA's School Bus Stopping Law:
The penalties for Pennsylvania School Bus Stopping Law violations are severe and can include as much as five points on your driving record, a 60-day license suspension, and a $250 fine. Getting on and off the bus can be the most dangerous part of a child's day. You can help keep our kids safe by obeying the speed limit and following school bus stopping rules. For complete information on Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law including violations as well as parent and bus driver tips go to: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/psp/resources/safety-resources/school-bus-safety-tips. Alert: New Work Requirements for SNAP! Requirements for SNAP recipients in Pennsylvania changed on September 1, 2025 and will expand to more people on November 1, 2025 thanks to President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that was signed into law in July. Under the new federal rules, to keep or become eligible for SNAP benefits, certain people will have to meet SNAP work requirements that include:
Starting September 1, 2025, these rules apply to SNAP recipients that:
Starting November 1, 2025, the work requirements will apply to SNAP recipients that:
Pennsylvania no longer qualifies for waivers of these rules because of a change in the federal law, but certain people may be exempt from these requirements. What to do:
Make sure to act fast and stay informed! Check the PA DHS
website for full details at: Share Your Thoughts on the Plan for Penn Ave Art and Commercial District! If you live or own a business on or nearby Penn Avenue, don’t miss this opportunity to share your thoughts about the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation’s (BGC) five-year strategic plan for the Penn Avenue Art and Commercial District. Your feedback will help shape the future of the district and only takes 10 minutes! Residents and businesses can take BGC survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/. October Civics Cypher Event in East Liberty - Submit your questions by 9/12/25! The Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) in East Liberty needs your feedback! KST will be hosting a Civic Cypher event on October 21st - an evening of civics education and live performances - and is asking the public for civics topics they want to learn more about. Submit your suggestions by Friday, September 12th at https://docs.google.com/forms. After you submit your suggestion, you can learn more about the event and register at: https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/civicscypher/. Job
Fair at Ross Park Mall! Looking for work or ready to make a change? Find your next great job at the Pittsburgh Job Fair on Saturday, September 13th at the Main Concourses & Center Court at Ross Park Mall! Bring your resume and speak directly with company representatives from across our region. Visit https://pittsburghjobfairs.com/ for more information. Pittsburgh Latin American Art
Festival Don’t miss the Pittsburgh Latin American Art Festival coming to Sharpsburg on September 20. Feel the beat, taste the flavor, and see the art! Addiction Recovery Ministry Resource
Fair Join the Addiction Recovery Ministry of Sharpsburg for their upcoming Resource Fair! This day of help and hope features speakers from recovery organizations about the help available and personal stories of recovery. Food is included and all are welcome! For more information go to: https://www.addictionrecoveryministrypittsburgh.org/. 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). |
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