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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*

*Good
News**

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*Electrified
School Bus Forum*

Last Monday, I partnered with S&B USA Construction
- Fay Southeast [link 3], the Green Building Alliance, Duquesne Light
Company [link 4], and GreenPower Motor Company [link 5] to host a
forum for school districts and transportation companies about the
state and federal dollars available to help electrify their bus
fleets. It's important to me that a fair portion of the billions of
dollars made available in funding through the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act supported by
President Biden and Congress get invested in Pennsylvania school
districts.

I'm grateful to the many school districts who attended, to
A.W. Beattie Career Center [link 6] for hosting us, and as always to
the A.W. Beattie students who provided the best food for everyone!


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*New
Fee Strengthens Ross-West View EMS*

The five municipalities that are
serviced by the Ross-West View EMS Authority (Ross Township, West
View, Reserve Township, Millvale Borough, and Ohio Township) have all
approved a new fee for residents and businesses within their borders.
This fee will go directly to the EMS Authority and will allow them to
continue to provide the top-quality professional services that
residents expect when they dial 911. In exchange, the Authority is
waiving out-of-pocket expenses for those using their emergency
ambulance services.

I've been working closely with our local EMS
authorities to help secure additional funding to help with training,
recruitment, and retention of EMTs and the maintenance of their
equipment and facilities. However, with insurance reimbursements
remaining stagnant or decreasing and costs rising, our EMS providers
find themselves in need of more reliable and consistent financial
streams to keep their doors open and continue providing exemplary
services. To locate your local EMS agency and subscribe to their
services, please visit SenatorLindseyWilliams.com/District.

Read more
at: Five Allegheny County communities come together to help fund
Ross-West View EMS - CBS Pittsburgh (cbsnews.com) [link 7]



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*"Everyone
Gets a Say" Available on LAMP*

I'm very excited that my reading of
"Everyone Gets a Say" by Jill Twiss is now available in the Library of
Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians - LAMP [link 8] for download on
BARD and in digital cartridge format to patron's mailbox delivery. I
had an amazing time recording this book and making it accessible to
everyone!

Go to Everyone Gets A Say | LAMP (mylamp.org) [link 9] to
apply for LAMP services and access to "Everyone Gets a Say."

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*

*Legislative
News**

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*Universal
School Meals*

Senator Judy Schwank and I are reintroducing my "No
Student Should Go Hungry- Universal School Meals" legislation [link
10] from last year. This bill 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.

The Federal
government let the pandemic waivers and funding that allowed schools
to provide universal breakfast and lunch for all students expire at
the beginning of this school year. I heard almost immediately about
the difficulties that this caused for our districts and families,
especially in the midst of rising gas prices and rising food prices.
We know that providing breakfast and lunch for our students is like
providing school books or pencils- it's part of a necessary day. If
our students aren't safe, healthy, and fed, they can't be ready to
learn.

You can join the PA Healthy School Meals for All Coalition by
signing on here:

-
Join the Pennsylvania Healthy School Meals For
All Coalition (jotform.com) [link 11]

Read more about Universal
School Meals in the news:

-
Pennsylvania state senator pushing to
bring back universal school lunches (wtae.com) [link 12]

-
Guest
editorial | Free breakfasts, lunches should be provided for students |
Editorials | tribdem.com [link 13]

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*
*Black
History Month**

For our last week of Black History Month we are
focusing on the famous Pittsburgh Courier newspaper. There are so many
notable people connected with the Pittsburgh Courier that we had a
hard time narrowing it down to just three. We hope you enjoy our
choices!

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*The
Pittsburgh Courier*

Did you know that one of the top Black newspapers
in the country was The Pittsburgh Courier? Published in Pittsburgh
from 1907 until 1966, the paper was begun by Edwin Nathaniel
Harleston, a guard at the H. J. Heinz Company food packing plant in
Pittsburgh. Harleston, a self-published poet, started printing the
paper at his own expense in 1907. Generally about two pages, it was
primarily a vehicle for Harleston's work, and he printed around 10
copies which he sold for five cents apiece. In 1909, Edward Penman,
Hepburn Carter, Scott Wood, Jr., and Harvey Tanner joined Harleston to
run the paper, and they named it Pittsburgh Courier after the Post and
Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, Harleston's hometown. The five
men sold most of the copies throughout the Hill District.

On May 10,
1910, the Pittsburgh Courier was formally incorporated and Robert Vann
became the editor. The Pittsburgh Courier served as a tool for social
progress, covering injustices perpetrated by the Pullman Company and
supporting the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, causes such as
improved housing conditions in the Hill District, better education for
Black students, and equal employment and union opportunities.

By
1928, the Courier's four editions (local, northern, eastern, and
southern) were distributed in all 48 states and internationally, and
by 1938, the paper was the largest American Black weekly, with a
circulation of 250,000. It reached an all-time high circulation of
357,000 in 1947 with 16 regional editions in 1953.

The Pittsburgh
Courier was closed in 1966. It was reopened in 1967 by John Sengstacke
as the New Pittsburgh Courier [link 14], which still operates today as
a weekly paper. The original paper launched or furthered the career of
many Black Pittsburghers, including Frank Bolden and Jackie Ormes.


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*Frank
Bolden: Groundbreaking War Correspondent and Pittsburgh Courier
Reporter*

Did you know that one of the two first accredited Black war
correspondents during WW2 attended the University of Pittsburgh? Frank
Bolden, who was the first Black member of theUniversity of Pittsburgh
Marching Band, graduated from Pitt in 1934. Although he had high
grades, he was rejected from Pitt's Medical School because of his
race. He was also rejected from a teaching position at Pittsburgh
Public Schools because of his race.

Instead, Mr. Bolden began writing
full time as a general assignment reporter with The Pittsburgh
Courier. He focused his work on Wylie Avenue, saying, "Wylie Avenue:
the only street in America that begins with a church and ends with a
jail." When America entered WW2, The Pittsburgh Courier nominated Mr.
Bolden to be an official war correspondent and because of his college
degree, he was selected. Mr. Bolden once told an interviewer: "White
America was convinced that Negro soldiers under fire would be cowards
and turn and run, that is why I went over."

In 1964, Bolden returned
to Pittsburgh to be the assistant director of information and
community relations for the Pittsburgh Board of Education. He held
that position until he retired in 1981.



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*Jackie
Ormes: First Black Woman Cartoonist in the US*

Did you know that the
first Black woman cartoonist was born here in Pittsburgh? Jackie Ormes
published her first comic strip, "Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem", in
The Pittsburgh Courier on May 1, 1937. Because The Courier had 14 city
editions, her work was seen coast-to-coast.

Torchy Brown told the
story of a Mississippi teen who journeyed to New York to continue her
singing and dancing career. The strip ran for a year but was revived
in 1950 as "Torchy in Heartbeats." Ms. Ormes also designed beautiful
paper doll toppers to go along with the comic, called "Torchy
Togs."

Jackie Ormes is also known for another of her comics,
"Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger," a big-sister, little-sister single panel comic
with Patty-Jo, the little sister, the only speaker. In 1947, Ms. Ormes
contracted with the Terry Lee doll company to make Patty-Jo dolls,
which were the first American Black dolls to have an upscale wardrobe.
The dolls are now sought-after collectors items.

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No
stories about the Pittsburgh Courier would be complete without
mentioning the famous Pittsburgh native, One Shot Charles "Teeny"
Harris! Teeny Harris chronicled life in black neighborhoods of the
city for the Pittsburgh Courier from 1936 to 1975. He took over 80,000
images during his career, many of which can be found at Teenie Harris
Archive - Carnegie Museum of Art (cmoa.org) [link 15].



*Black-Led
and Black Community Organizations*

There are so many Black-led
organizations working to end systemic racism, uplift Black
communities, and create positive change in our region. Here are a few
groups that are Black-led and/or work closely with the Black community
that you can connect with, volunteer for, donate to, and support:

-
1Hood Media [link 16]

-
African American Chamber of Commerce of
Western Pennsylvania [link 17]

-
African American Leadership
Association [link 18]

-
Alliance for Police Accountability [link
19]

-
Amachi Pittsburgh [link 20]

-
Black Girls Equity Alliance
(Gwen's Girls) [link 21]

-
Black Political Empowerment Project
(B-PEP) [link 22]

-
Black Tech Nation [link 23]

-
Black Urban
Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh [link 24]

-
Black, Young, &
Educated [link 25]

-
Boom Concepts [link 26]

-
Corporate Equity
and Inclusion Roundtable (CEIR) [link 27]

-
Gwen's Girls [link
28]

-
The Kingsley Association [link 29]

-
The Homewood
Children's Village [link 30]

-
My Brother's Keeper [link 31]

-
Manchester Bidwell Corporation [link 32]

-
New Voices for
Reproductive Justice [link 33]

-
Pittsburgh Black Elected Officials
Coalition [link 34]

-
POISE Foundation [link 35]

-
Sankofa Fund
of Southwest PA [link 36]

-
Sisters PGH [link 37]

-
South
Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace [link 38]

-
Urban League of Greater
Pittsburgh [link 39]

-
Urban League Young Professionals of Greater
Pittsburgh [link 40]

-
YWCA Center for Race & Gender Equity [link
41]

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*
*Things
to Know**

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*2023
Allegheny County Banner Communities*

Congratulations to
municipalities in Senate District 38 that achieved "Banner Community"
status this year!
These municipalities and authorities were chosen by
the Allegheny League of Municipalities [link 42], Allegheny County
[link 43] and sponsor HRG Engineering [link 44], for their commitment
to sustainable practices like intergovernmental cooperation and
engagement with the community.

For the complete list of 2023 Banner
Communities go to Banner Community Program - ALOM
(alleghenyleague.org) [link 45].





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*New
UC Debit Cards Coming!*

If you choose to receive your unemployment
compensation system payment via prepaid debit card, you will
automatically receive a new Money Network(R) card next month to
replace the current U.S. Bank ReliaCard(R) as part of Pennsylvania
Treasury's [link 46] transition to a new vendor (see graphic above).
Starting March 24, 2023, all UC benefit payments to prepaid debit
cards will be loaded to the Money Network cards. The last date that UC
benefit payments will be loaded to ReliaCards is February 28, 2023 and
balances will not transfer to the new Money Network cards.

It is
essential that the Department of Labor & Industry has your current
address to ensure that your new prepaid debit card is delivered
promptly. *If you have moved since initially applying for UC benefits,
you should immediately use the UC Service Center to update your
mailing address at Contact Us - UC Benefits (pa.gov) [link 47].*

If
you have additional questions about the new card, visit PA Treasury's
FAQ page at Debit Card FAQs (pa.gov) [link 48], call our offices at
412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison), or email us at
[email protected].



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*Inflation
Reduction Act Incentives Toolkit*

Do you have questions about the
incentives for energy-efficient consumer goods included in the
Inflation Reduction Act?
PennEnvironment [link 49] has a resource page
for these programs that cover everything from heat pumps to solar
energy to electric vehicles.

Go to Clean energy home toolkit
(environmentamerica.org) [link 50] to start saving energy and money!


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*Photographer:
Zongfu Chen*

*Videos Available of Pittsburgh's 2023 Lunar New Year
Gala *

If you were unable to attend the 2023 Greater Pittsburgh Lunar
New Year Gala, do not despair! You can enjoy video highlights of the
performances at the links below.

-
*Gala 5 Minutes Highlights*:
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-
*Gala 1
Minute Highlights*: [link removed] [link
52]

-
*Gala all performance playlist*:
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[link 53]

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions
you may have by phone at 412-364-0469 [link 54] (Ross Office),
724-224-2131 [link 55] (Harrison Office) or by email at
[email protected] [link 56]. My staff will return
your call/email within 24 hours (Monday-Friday).

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Senator
Lindsey Williams


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mailto:[email protected]

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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