Demystifying Harrisburg
Demystifying Harrisburg: Elections
On Thursday, September 12, Senator Williams hosted another installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series on Elections.
Senator Williams was joined by Ruth Quint, Co-President of the League of Women Voters; Jessica Garofolo, Director of Administrative Services of Allegheny County; and Richard Ting, Senior Staff Attorney for ACLU of Pennsylvania to discuss the different types of elections, what Allegheny County does to prepare for every election, what you can expect at the polls, and how ballots are processed and counted.
Some important resources for everyone:
1-866-OUR-VOTE: Call with any questions about voting or any problems you experience while voting!
Register to Vote | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (pa.gov): Register to vote before the October 21 deadline!
Vote By Mail Ballot Before Election Day | Voting & Election Information | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (pa.gov): Request your mail in ballot before the October 29 deadline!
https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Government/Elections/Ballot-Return-Sites: 2024 General Election Ballot Return Sites
https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Government/Elections/In-Person-Voting-on-Election-Day: In- Person Voting Resources
https://www.aclupa.org/en/volunteer-or-intern: Volunteer with the ACLU
Demystifying Harrisburg: Office of Consumer Advocate
On Thursday, April 18, 2024, Senator Williams hosted another installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series: Office of Consumer Advocate.
Senator Williams was joined by Patrick Cicero, Pennsylvania’s Consumer Advocate to discuss your rights as a utility customer. We covered a wide variety of topics, including what utility rate increase cases are and how they impact all of us, the best way to research electric rates (https://www.papowerswitch.com/), and how your voice can be heard through the OCA.
Stay tuned for upcoming information on how you can get involved in upcoming rate cases that affect residents in our area!
You can contact the Office of Consumer Advocate, including to sign up for updates about upcoming rate cases that affect you at:
Phone: 1-800-684-6560
Email: consumer@paoca.org
Web: PA Office of Consumer Advocate – Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate
Demystifying Harrisburg: Demystifying Unionizing Your Workplace
On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Senator Williams hosted another installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series: Demystifying Unionizing Your Workplace. Senator Williams had a conversation wiwth organizers from Starbucks, Coffee Tree Roasters, and discussed how they began their efforts, lessons learned, what to watch for, and how the public can support workers.
Demystifying Harrisburg: Office of Consumer Advocate
On Thursday, July 21, 2022, Senator Williams hosted another installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series: Office of Consumer Advocate. Senator Williams had a conversation with her guest Patrick Cicero, the new PA Consumer Advocate, discussing everything you need to know about utilities. What does the Office of Consumer Advocate do? Who has your back when utility rate hikes are proposed? How should a utility provider be chosen? How do consumers file a utility complaint? What financial assistance is available for utilities and the internet?
Demystifying Harrisburg: How to Lobby Your Legislator
On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, Senator Williams hosted the 6th installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series: How to Lobby Your Legislator. Senator Williams provided tips on how to feel more comfortable talking to your local legislative office, whether you’re navigating state offices, building relationships with staff, sharing information, giving your opinion on legislation or advocating for yourself, others or issues you care about.
Demystifying Harrisburg: The Budget
On February 17, 2022, Senator Williams hosted the 5th installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series: The Budget. Senator Williams discussed what goes into the budget making process in Pennsylvania, how does the budget go from the Governor’s Address in February to finished legislation at the end of June, what happens at Budget Hearings, what the code bills do and why should everyone should care about the PA State Budget.
Demystifying Harrisburg: Requesting Information from State Government
On August 4, Senator Williams hosted the 4th installment of our “Demystifying Harrisburg” series: Right to Know and Media Coverage. Panelists discussed how to get information from or about state government.
Government agencies and departments are funded by taxpayers and information about how those resources are spent belongs to you. This event will teach you how to file a “Right to Know” request. Experts also shared tips for filing effective submissions.
This event discussed how the news media covers the legislature and state government. Reporters are watchdogs and keep the public informed about government activity. A panel of media experts discussed how news coverage works at the capitol.
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Demystifying Harrisburg: The Budget Process
On June 29, Senator Lindsey Williams held the third installment of our Demystifying Harrisburg Event, Part III: The Budget Process. What is the budget? What are code bills? Why does it matter? Don’t miss the THRILLING third installment of this educational saga, our very own “Return of the Jedi,” but with more spreadsheets and fewer lightsabers legislative process in Harrisburg.
Demystifying Harrisburg: Knowing the Rules and Tracking Legislation
On April 15, Senator Lindsey Williams, The Kidney Foundation, and Fair Districts PA hosted a comprehensive discussion of the current state of the legislative process in Harrisburg.
Demystifying Harrisburg: How to Talk to Your Legislator
On March 25th, Senator Lindsey Williams hosted How to Talk to Your Legislator. Participants and legislators were pleased by the open dialog and concrete suggestions for effective communication and action.