State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, Your District 38 Update

Stay
Connected!*

*Are you receiving this Enewsletter for the first
time?*

*Make sure you stay up-to-date on all things for the 38th
District and throughout the Commonwealth by clicking below! **


Click Here [link 1]

*By subscribing to my e-mail updates, you are
authorizing me to send regular e-mail updates from my office to your
e-mail account.



*

*Upcoming Events**

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*Clean
Slate and Expungement Clinic *

*Tuesday, March 14 2023, from
6:00-7:45pm*

Get a fresh start by learning about how to clear your
record! Join Senator Lindsey Williams and Barbara Griffin, Director of
the Allegheny County Bar Foundation Pro Bono Center, for a Clean Slate
and Expungement Clinic at the Kingsley Association in Larimer. The
clinic begins with a brief presentation on options for clearing
criminal records including Clean Slate, expungements, and
pardons.Afterward, participants have the option of meeting one-on-one
with professionals to see what help is available to them. Advance
registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are
welcome.

Register at www.senatorlindseywilliams.com/events [link
2], 412-364-0469, or [email protected].




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*My
Office is Still Scheduling Ross and Shaler AARP Tax-Aide appointments!
*

The AARP Tax-Aide Program is up and running at the Shaler
Undercliff Fire Company and the Ross Township Municipal Building. This
program provides free tax assistance and tax preparation services to
low- and moderate-income taxpayers, with an emphasis on those 50 or
older. To schedule your free appointment, please call the office at
412-364-0469. For more information, visit www.taxaide-pittsburgh.com
[link 3].



*Alternative Free Tax Preparation Sites*

If the
Ross or Shaler AARP Tax-Aide sites are too far away, consider another
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) [link 4]site in Allegheny
County!

VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need
assistance in preparing their own tax returns, for people who
generally make $60,000 or less, have a disability, and limited
English-speaking taxpayers.

The TCE program offers free tax help,
particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing
in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to
seniors.

The IRS manages the VITA and TCE programs, but the sites
themselves are operated by local non-profit organization partners like
the AARP, North Hills Community Outreach, and the Allegheny Valley
Association of Churches with IRS-certified volunteers.

Search by
zip code for an IRS VITA site near you at Get Free Tax Prep Help
(treasury.gov) [link 5] or VITA - Free Tax Preparation - PA 211 [link
6].



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*File
for Free Online!*

Most folks are eligible to file their taxes
online for FREE!
IRS Free File [link 7] offers free electronic tax
preparation, filing, and direct deposit of refunds to taxpayers that
made $73,000 or less in 2022. Try it today!

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*

*Good
News**

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*The
Children's Institute *

Big thanks to Jessica at The Children's
Institute [link 8] who gave me and my staff an in-depth tour of The
Day School [link 9] on Monday! The Day School offers private special
education to students with autism (ages 5-21), students with multiple
disabilities (ages 5-21), and transition services (ages 14-21). We
also met "Wilson," the beloved colorful dinosaur outside. Thanks for
all the work you do to support disabled individuals and their families
in Pittsburgh!



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*Visit
to the Harrison Township Water Authority*

Thank you to Nick and
Mark of the Harrison Township Water Authority [link 10] for meeting
with and providing a tour to me and my staff on Tuesday.

Supporting
state financial assistance to municipal water authorities to ensure
that all residents have access to affordable, safe, and clean drinking
water is important to me. Last year I was proud to sponsor the bill
that allocated $300 million in federal funds for small water and sewer
upgrades in our communities.

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*

*Legislative
News**
*

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*PA System of Public-School Funding Unconstitutional*

The
Commonwealth Court ruled in *West Penn School District et al. v.
Pennsylvania Department of Education et al. *this week that
Pennsylvania's system of funding public education is unconstitutional.
This case began in 2014 when 6 school districts, 6 sets of parents,
and 2 advocacy groups filed the lawsuit alleging that the way that the
legislature funds education in Pennsylvania violates our constitution,
which requires that "the General Assembly shall provide for the
maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public
education."

The plaintiffs who brought the case alleged that by
relying on a patchwork system of local property taxes and underfunding
districts from the state level, the General Assembly is failing in its
constitutional duty to provide that system of public education. This
week, the Commonwealth Court agreed in a nearly 800-page opinion [link
11].

I applaud the Court's ruling, but this decision doesn't come
as a surprise to anyone who has talked to students, families, or
educators here in Pennsylvania- they'll tell you that our schools have
never been fully or fairly funded. We have the funding necessary to
fulfill our constitutional promise to all of Pennsylvania's students.
The legislature needs to prioritize students over political agendas
and create a system where ALL students receive the quality public
education that the PA Constitution guarantees them. I'm urging my
colleagues in the General Assembly to join me in getting to work
now.

Read more about this developing story:
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[link 12].

Pa. state school funding system deemed unconstitutional
(wtae.com) [link 13]

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*

*Black
History Month **

February is Black History Month and we are
featuring notable figures from Pittsburgh's rich Black history each
week.

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*First
Black Woman Professionally Trained as a Librarian*

Since February
is National Library Lovers Month, we are beginning with Virginia
Powell Florence. Virginia was born in Wilkinsburg [link 14] and was
the first Black woman to receive professional librarian training in
the United States! She received her degree from the Carnegie Library
School in 1923 (now the University of Pittsburgh School of Information
Sciences)and worked at the New York Public Library before serving as
the school librarian at Seward High School in New York and Maggie L.
Walker High School in Virginia.

For more information on Virginia
Powell Florence's life go to Virginia Proctor Powell Florence -
Wikipedia [link 15].

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Want
to learn more? The Association for the Study of African American Life
and History, the Founders of Black History Month, have named the theme
for this year's Black History Month "Black Resistance." The Carnegie
Library has curated a list of some suggested reading around this theme
that you can find at Reading Black Resistance - Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh [link 16].

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*

*Things
to Know**
*

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*Annual Mail Ballot Applications are Coming!*

Attention voters!
Allegheny County Elections Division [link 17] has been mailing out
Annual Mail Ballot Applications for a week. Check your mailbox!

If
you are on the annual mail-in voter list:

-
You must complete and
return the application to affirm you want the County to send you a
mail-in ballot for all 2023 elections in which you are eligible to
vote.

-
You will receive this application every year unless you
return it & specify that you no longer want to receive it. If you
would like to be removed from the annual list, follow the instructions
provided by the County on how to cancel your annual
status.

Remember, even if you received mail ballots last year, you
must submit a new request every year! Check your registration, submit
a request, or learn more about Annual Mail Ballot Applications
at
Annual Mail-in Voter List (pa.gov) [link 18].



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*Governor
Shapiro Addresses Issues with State Licensure*

I applaud Governor
Josh Shapiro for making an examination of the state licensure process
a priority so early in his Administration. My office routinely hears
from constitutions who have difficulty getting their licenses
processed, particularly nursing licenses. I'm encouraged to see that
Governor Shapiro is looking for the root of the bottlenecks and how we
can eliminate them in the future, while still ensuring high quality
professionals to serve Pennsylvanians.

Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro
targets state license and permit bottlenecks in latest executive order
| 90.5 WESA [link 19]



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*Complete
PennDOT's Highway Safety Survey*

The Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation [link 20] (PennDOT) is seeking motorist input on
traffic safety and driving behaviors through its annual online Highway
Safety Survey. In 2021, 1230 people died on Pennsylvania roadways,
which could be prevented by buckling up, slowing down, increasing
driver attentiveness, and driving sober. Survey results will gauge
driver attitudes toward safety and will be used to adjust PennDOT's
efforts to reduce crashes and fatalities.

Go to Highway Safety
Survey [link 21] to complete the survey today. Survey closes February
28, 2023.



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*PA
Department of Banking Hosting Girl Scout "**My Financial
Planner"**Event*

*Microsoft Teams, Monday, February 13, 6-7:30
PM*

The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS)
[link 22] is partnering with the Girl Scouts in the Heart of
Pennsylvania [link 23] to offer Girl Scouts the opportunity to earn a
financial literacy badge. The *My Financial Planner Event* will be
presented virtually on Microsoft Teams to Ambassador-level Girl
Scouts.

Contact Becky MacDicken at 717-214-4755 or
[email protected] [link 24]for more information.



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*Pine-Richland
Student Chosen for Hits!The Musical*

Congratulations to
Pine-Richland School District [link 25] student Loren Prisuto for
earning a role with national touring company Hits! The Musical [link
26]. Her audition clearly struck a chord because she is one of the 19
vocalists chosen out of 7,000 kids who auditioned.

Read more at
Pine-Richland middle school girl picked for cast of 'Hits! The
Musical' touring company | TribLIVE.com [link 27].

As always,
please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by phone
at 412-364-0469 [link 28] (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 [link 29]
(Harrison Office) or by email at [email protected]
[link 30]. 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

Harrison Office
1826 Union
Avenue
Natrona Heights, PA 15065
Phone: 724-224-2131
Fax:
724-224-2145

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

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