Upcoming Events
Demystifying Harrisburg Series - The
Budget
Zoom, Wednesday, July 6, 6 - 7 pm
Learn about what's in this year's budget and the budget making
process in Pennsylvania. Sit down with Senator Williams and her
Legislative Director, Cheryl Kleiman, for a conversation about all
things Pennsylvania Budget to find out everything you ever wanted to
know but were afraid to ask.
Register at Events
- Senator Lindsey Williams
Demystifying Harrisburg Series - Office of Consumer
Advocate
Zoom, Wednesday, July 21, 6 - 7 pm
Join Senator Williams on Thursday, July 21 at 6 pm for another
Demystifying Harrisburg conversation! This time Patrick Cicero, the
new PA Consumer Advocate, is her guest for a discussion about
utilities. What does the Office of Consumer Advocate do? Who has your
back when utility rate hikes are proposed? How do consumers file a
utility complaint? What financial assistance is available for
utilities and the internet? Tune in to get answers and to ask some
questions of your own!
Register at Events
- Senator Lindsey Williams
Free
Shredding Event!
Kiwanis Park, Shaler Township, Saturday, July 16, 9-11
am
Protect your identity by shredding
your sensitive paper documents at the free shredding event we are
hosting with Representative
Sara Innamorato! The event will be at Kiwanis
Park, 399 Wetzel Road in Shaler
Township on Saturday, July 16 from 9-11 am (or until the truck is
full). Shredding will be performed on site and is limited to 2 boxes
per car. This is paper only shredding – please remove all metal
fasteners other than staples. No books or binders, please!
Legislative Update
Three New
Education Bills Focused on Mental Health and
Safety
I'm co-sponsoring three pieces of
legislation that will put more school-based mental health care
programs and professionals into our classrooms and empower students in
cases of emergency:
*
Senator Michele Brooks and I will introduce legislation that
creates the School-Based
Mental Health Professional Internship Stipend Program. This grant
program provides funding for participating school districts to pay
internship stipends to school counselors, social workers,
psychologists, and nurses who are working to complete their degree and
certification requirements.
*
Senator Jim Brewster and I have introduced SB1285,
which will focus the majority of grants awarded through the PCCD
School Safety and Security program for the 2022-23 school year on
funding applications for projects that support students' behavioral
and mental health.
* I've introduced SB1207,
which requires schools to create and conduct annual medical emergency
response drills to give children developmentally-appropriate skills to
find an adult in a medical emergency where their teacher is
unresponsive. This legislation grew out of a meeting with my
constituent and recent
Fox Chapel Area School District graduate Elizabeth Crookston. Ms.
Crookston and her classmates were in this situation when they were
younger, and not knowing how to help their teacher was traumatic for
the students. Teaching them basic, age-appropriate tools like how to
get an outside line or the front office from a classroom telephone,
knowing their classroom number, and learning who to contact first in
an emergency can save precious moments and potentially save a
life.
To read more about these bills go to Senator
Lindsey M. Williams Announces Three Education Bills Aimed at Improving
Student Mental Health (senatorlindseywilliams.com)
Good News
Fox Chapel
Pride in the Park
It was a beautiful day for
the Fox
Chapel Pride in the Park event in Aspinwall’s Allegheny
RiverTrail Park last Thursday! We staffed the “Take
Action” table, encouraging individuals to write their
legislators on topics important to them. Thank you to Fox Chapel Pride
in the Park for providing this opportunity for families to connect and
celebrate the local LGBTQIA+ community!
New CEO at
Planned Parenthood of Western PA!
Last Friday,
a member of my staff & fellow representatives met PPWP--Planned
Parenthood of Western PA's new President & CEO, Sydney
Etheredge. I’m excited for her bold leadership, which is needed
now more than ever. PPWP offers a wide range of quality healthcare
services for thousands of patients each year- pap tests, breast &
cervical cancer screenings, a variety of contraceptives, STI testing
& treatment, colposcopies & cryotherapy, hormone therapy,
vaccines & yes, abortion.
In the face of constant attacks
against women & our LGBTQ community, I will stand strong to fight
for reproductive health & access.
Frank
Meledandri Honored for 40 Years of Service to Cheswick
Borough
Congratulations to Frank Meledandri,
who was honored on Tuesday for 40 years of service to Cheswick
Borough. Frank’s tenure at the Borough included Councilman, Vice
President of Borough Council, and President of Borough Council. He
received the President’s Award for Service from the Pennsylvania
State Association of Boroughs. Thank you, Frank, for the countless
hours you spent representing and serving your community!
https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/cheswick-councilman-frank-meledandri-receives-award-for-40-years-of-service/
EMS
Training Grant Put to Good Use in West Deer
I
met with West
Deer EMS last week to see a demonstration of their new training
manikin. This manikin was purchased with funds from a Department
of Community and Economic Development (DCED) EMS Training Grant
received by EMS agencies across my district in February. This vital
instructional equipment enables EMTs to prepare and practice for the
real-life situations they will encounter in the field and could not
have been purchased without this grant.
Our EMS agencies
are facing funding challenges. As I’m working in Harrisburg to
solve these problems, there’s something you can do to help! If
you aren’t already, please subscribe to your local EMS service.
You can find a list of all the local services in Senate District 38 on
my website at SenatorLindseyWilliams.com/district.
Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
Deadline Extended!
The deadline for older and
disabled Pennsylvanians to apply for rebates on rent and property
taxes paid in 2021 has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31,
2022. Property
Tax/Rent Rebate Program claimants can now file rebate
applications online by clicking here.
Paper applications are still accepted.
Property Tax or
Rent Rebate Eligibility:
- Your income is under
$35,000 (homeowners) or $15,000 (renters).
- Note: Half of
Social Security is excluded!
-And-
- You are age 65 or over as of Dec.
31, 2021
- You are a widow/widower aged 50 or over, OR
- You are disabled and age 18 or over
If you need
assistance, have questions, or want us to file your Property Tax or
Rent Rebate application, call our office at 412-364-0469 or email us
at [email protected].
Take
PennDOT’s Survey on PA EV Infrastructure
Plan!
As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law, PennDOT
will receive and distribute $171.5 million in funds for electric
vehicle charging infrastructure over the next five years!
PennDOT’s plan for the funding, the Draft Pennsylvania State
Plan for access to National
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funds,
supports the state’s goal to expand EV charging stations along
its Alternative
Fuel Corridors so that stations are no more that 1 mile from an
Interstate exit or highway intersection and no more than 50 miles
apart. If this goal is met, the funds can also be used to build EV
charging equipment on public roads or publicly accessible locations
like parking facilities at public buildings, public schools, and
parks.
PennDOT’s draft plan is the product of
discussions with lawmakers, planning partners, utilities, local
governments, and many other stakeholders. The final step is feedback
from the public and PennDOT launched a survey for that purpose this
week. The survey takes about 10 minutes, includes an overview of NEVI
state guidance, and asks the public to evaluate the plan’s
goals, priorities, and administration. You can take the survey by
clicking the graphic above or by clicking here.
You may also email your feedback to [email protected].
The survey and public comments close on June 30, 2022. To
learn more visit Electric
Vehicles and Alternative Fuels (pa.gov).
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
