Upcoming Events

40th Anniversary Community Health Fair in East Liberty

Join us this Saturday, July 23rd from 11 am - 3 pm for East Liberty Family Health Care Center’s 40th Anniversary Community Health Fair! The event will be held in the Center’s parking lot at 6023 Harvard Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Come out for a free health screening and enjoy the entertainment, food, and games. Stop by our table to get resources, ask questions, and meet our staff and Senator Williams!

Demystifying Harrisburg Series - The Budget
Wednesday, July 27, 6 - 7 pm, Zoom

Pennsylvania’s budget was finally completed on July 8th and we’ve rescheduled our annual Demystifying Harrisburg Budget event! Please join us on Wednesday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m. for a discussion about the Pennsylvania budget. We’ll be talking about the process, the final breakdown of where the money is going, and how the budget even works. Bring your questions– this is a complicated process! 

You can register for this event or catch up on our prior Demystifying Harrisburg events at SenatorLindseyWilliams.com/DemystifyingHbg.

Small Business Resource Fair
Wednesday, August 10 @ The Union Project, 10 am – 1 PM

Attention small business owners! We are hosting a Small Business Fair on Wednesday, August 10th from 10am-1pm. This event is for both new and established small business owners who are looking for more opportunities to help them grow and succeed!

Featuring:

• Department of Community and Economic Development
• University of Pittsburgh SBDC
• Bridgeway Capital, Inc.
• URA of Pittsburgh/Invest PGH
• Innovation Works, Inc.
• Honeycomb Credit
• Keva Loans
• The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
• And more!

Register at SmallBusinessFair2022 - Senator Lindsey Williams. For information on attending as a vendor, please email [email protected].

Legislative Update

The Overturning of Roe v. Wade and Threat to Abortion in PA

In the last few weeks since the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the federal right to a safe, legal abortion, I, along with many of you, have been experiencing a range of emotions - anger, fear, and sadness - just to name a few. But it’s time to fight back. I will always stand for a woman’s right to healthcare, and that includes abortion. Deciding if, when, and with whom to start or grow a family is a human right. I trust people to make the best decisions about their lives, their families and their healthcare. This fight is about our right to privacy and our right to bodily autonomy.

Several of my Senate colleagues and I have joined together to co-sponsor legislation that would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade here in Pennsylvania to ensure that reproductive healthcare remains safe and accessible for future generations. I spoke on the Senate Floor about my fears that, here in Pennsylvania, we’re looking at the edge of the cliff of losing our rights and going back to the times when people had to rely on back alley abortions.

But while my colleagues and I have been working to codify your privacy rights in Pennsylvania law, the Majority Leadership ran a bill that will take us over that cliff. On the anniversary of the infamous “Midnight Pay Raise,” they moved to suspend the rules of the Senate that prohibit voting past 11:00 pm.  In the dead of night, they voted in committee to advance SB 106, which would amend the PA Constitution to state that there is no constitutional right to an abortion. The following morning, the full Senate passed the measure 28-22. Later that night, after 7:00 p.m., the House did the same.

You can view my floor remarks against SB 106 here.

If you’d like to read the article by Jessica Semler that I’m referencing in my remarks for yourself, you can find it here.

SB 106 is a proposed constitutional amendment, which means that it cannot be vetoed by the governor. But constitutional amendments must be passed in identical form in two consecutive Sessions before they are placed on the ballot for voters to decide on them. 

• By passing the Senate and House, it has gotten through step 1– passage in its first Session. 
• In November, voters will have the opportunity to elect the entire House of Representatives and half of the Senate. 
• Once the 2023-24 General Assembly is sworn in in January 2023 for the new Session, they will have 2 years to pass an identical version of SB 106.
• If an identical version of SB 106 is passed, it will appear on the ballot for voters, potentially as early as May 2023.

For now, abortion remains safe and legal in Pennsylvania. But it will take the efforts of all of us to keep it that way.

Good News

Independence Day Weekend!

Ross Township July 3rd Parade

We started the weekend at the Ross Township Perrysville Parade on July 3rd with Representative Emily Kinkead. We had a great time tossing candy to the kids and seeing everyone turn out to celebrate our country’s birthday! 

Hampton Community Day

The Independence Day weekend celebrations continued at Hampton Township’s Community Day on Sunday. It was fun to talk with constituents and see everyone enjoying the attractions, bands, food, community groups, fireworks, and the pool! 

Shaler Community Day

The weekend’s finale was Shaler Township’s Community Day in Kiwanis Park. Everyone enjoyed music, food, swimming at the pool, the military recognition ceremony, and more spectacular fireworks. We had a wonderful weekend honoring our country and celebrating our communities. Thank you to all the hard-working municipal employees and volunteers that make these 4th of July celebrations possible!

Shaler Township Shredding Event

Our shredding event with Rep. Sara Innamorato at Kiwanis Park last Saturday was a huge success! Over 400 cars drove through to shred their documents. A giant thank you to Shaler Township Police Department and Shaler Fire Police for helping to direct traffic, and Ryan and Khalil from Shred-It. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Pine Township Community Day

Pine Township’s Community Day last Saturday was drizzly and cool - a nice change from the heat last week. It was great to see everyone and judge the annual pie-eating contest again! 

PropertyTax/Rent Rebate Extra Payments Coming!

If you applied for or plan to apply for a 2021 PA Property Tax or Rent Rebate (PTRR) this year, you will be getting an extra payment! Pennsylvania’s lottery-funded PTRR program provides property tax and rent relief to income-eligible senior citizens and permanently disabled individuals 18 years or older. Thanks to a provision in the 2022-23 Pennsylvania budget that passed earlier this month, PTRR applicants will receive a one-time 70% bonus rebate. The extra payment comes from unspent American Rescue Plan dollars targeted at home repairs and affordable housing.

When do I get the extra payment?

The PA Department of Revenue does not have a timeline yet, but is working as quickly as possible to get payments out. 

How much is the extra payment?

The size of the bonuses vary based on income levels (only half of household Social Security income is included). 

For Homeowners

How do I get the extra payment?

If you already applied for your 2021 PTRR, you don’t have to do anything! You will receive the extra payment automatically in the same form as your regular rebate (check or direct deposit). 

If you haven’t applied yet, you have time to complete your application before the extended December 31, 2022 deadline. If you need help with the application or want to find out if you are eligible, call or email our offices at 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131 (Harrison), [email protected].

Community Meeting Tour

Our staff is back on the road and attending community meetings in all of the municipalities and Pittsburgh neighborhoods in Senate District 38. While we can’t be at every meeting every month, we do make an effort to see every municipality regularly.

We know it’s important to attend these meetings because they provide opportunities for our office to support local governments and the constituents we both serve. At municipal/neighborhood meetings we hear about community projects the state could help with, local events our office can publicize or plan to attend, the challenges communities are facing, and the creative solutions communities find. It is also an opportunity to remind localities of the constituent services and events our offices provide. 

Local government has the most direct impact on people’s lives and it functions best with input from residents. Whether you are interested in stormwater management, traffic calming, parks and recreation, taxes and fees, garbage and recycling collection, police and fire protection, or the budget for fireworks on the 4th of July, we encourage you to sit in on your local council, supervisor, or neighborhood meeting. While you are there, look for a member of Senator Williams’ staff - you may run into one of us! 

For help finding your locality’s next meeting, call or email our offices at 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131 (Harrison), [email protected].   

Beware of Energy Marketing Scams!

The PA Public Utility Commission (PUC) is urging consumers to be alert for energy marketing scams, especially unsolicited telemarketing calls requesting immediate action and promising far-reaching savings on energy bills. Watch out for robocalls that follow the basic script below:

“This is an apology call from your electric (or natural gas) utility.  You got overcharged by your third-party supplier.  You will be receiving a rebate check along with a 30% discount on your electric and gas bill. Please press 1 to get your rebate check.”

The PUC stresses that telemarketers on legitimate energy sales calls are required to immediately identify themselves upon contacting a potential customer; identify the supplier they are representing; and the reason for the telephone call. If the agent doesn’t identify themself and the reason for the call immediately, you should end the call. Report suspected scams with the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services at 1-800-692-7380. 

To avoid telemarketers altogether, compare and choose your energy supplier at  PAPowerSwitch, the PUC’s energy shopping website.

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