Issues
Affordability for Families, Not Billionaires
We shouldn’t have to choose between feeding our families and paying for our rent, our mortgage, or our medications. That’s why I fight for policies that make life more affordable for families by lowering our utility bills, making housing more affordable, and improving accessibility to high-quality child care. I want to expand access to food programs like universal breakfast and lunch for students, food banks, and SNAP.
Read about my work on Surveillance Pricing.
Read about my work on Universal School Meals.
Electricity prices are higher than ever and that’s due in part to data center speculation. I’m working to ensure that Big Tech is paying their fair share and not passing costs onto us.
Read more about my Data Center Fair Share Act.
Fully Funding Public Schools and Investing in Our Students
After decades of underfunding our public education system, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court ruled that the legislature hasn’t fulfilled our constitutional obligation to public school students. I’m committed to fully and equitably funding public schools – from early childhood to post-secondary – and ensuring that all students and educators have the resources needed to succeed.
Keep up to date on my work for Pennsylvania students.
Students and parents need a real place to go when they are being discriminated against or harassed. Instead, the federal government has gutted the Department of Education and shuttered the Pennsylvania Office of Civil Rights. I’ve introduced legislation will allow Pennsylvania to do what the federal government refuses to do and investigate and enforce students’ federal civil rights to education.
Read more about my Office of Civil Rights legislation.
Making Government Work for People
Pennsylvanians deserve a government that is accessible and transparent. For years, I have led efforts to reform Senate rules, which would increase civic engagement and make sure legislation is thoughtfully considered with input from trusted stakeholders.
Harrisburg can be needlessly– and sometimes purposely– complicated. My “Demystifying Harrisburg” event series is designed to cut through the noise and show you how your government can and should work for you.
Legislative expenses are taxpayer dollars, and the public has a right to know how that money is being spent. That’s why I don’t take a per diem or drive a state vehicle. I’m the only legislator to publish my expenses in a fully searchable format.
As a former whistleblower, it’s important to me that Pennsylvania enact its own False Claims Act, which would protect whistleblowers and encourage them to report waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money. A federally-complaint FCA also entitles the state to a larger share in federal false claims lawsuits. Currently, 31 states have their own FCA; Pennsylvania is the largest state in the nation without its own. This legislation is important enough to me that we reserve Senate Bill 38 for it every year.
Standing Up for Working Pennsylvanians
Everyone deserves a job that lets them live a safe and stable life. That’s why I defend our right to organize a union, fight for fair pay, and support the investment in good union jobs that strengthen communities. I believe working people should have more power than corporations.
Protecting Your Right to Vote
We need to make voting as accessible as possible for people. We can have elections that are secure while dramatically increasing civic engagement. Since the Citizens United ruling, billionaires can buy votes. The 2010 Supreme Court decision means that the more money you have, the more speech you have. We are seeing increased voter suppression nationwide.
Among other election reforms I’ve sponsored, I support automatic voter registration, allowing election officials to pre-canvass mail-in ballots beginning 21 days before Election Day, accepting mail-in ballots that are postmarked by election day, creating uniform regulations about ballot drop-boxes, allowing ballots to be dropped off at polling sites, requiring counties to mail ballots no later than 28 days before the election, and sending every registered voter in Pennsylvania either a mail-in ballot application or ballot.
Healthcare Is a Human Right, Not a Luxury
Everyone should have affordable, quality healthcare. Getting medical care in a supportive, respectful setting can be the difference between life and death. I work to expand healthcare coverage for everyone, starting with funding Medicaid and protecting prescription coverage. No family should have to sacrifice their health to pay their bills.
I want our independent, community pharmacies to stay afloat. Our community pharmacies are at risk amid the corporate takeover of prescription benefits through pharmacy benefit managers. I’m fighting for PBM reform to keep our small pharmacies open and taking care of our neighbors.
Trusting Women to Make Decisions About Their Lives
Every woman should have access to safe reproductive care, including birth control and abortion. People, not the government, have the right to decide if, when, and with whom they want to grow a family.
Helping the Helpers
We deserve to have qualified, well-trained help at our times of greatest need. Our EMS providers, firefighters, and police are public servants, and I am grateful for all they do for our communities. First responders deserve modern equipment to do their work as safely as possible.
I represent so many river communities, I support readiness for first responders on our waterways. That’s why I was eager to help Blawnox secure grant funding to defray their costs and very honored to have the river rescue boat named FNB Williams.
It’s long overdue that our 911 dispatchers – true first responders – be recognized, paid, and provided benefits that recognize that service. During National Telecommunicators Week, Sen. Lindsey Williams Calls for 911 Dispatchers to be Classified as First Responders.
Investing in Libraries and Fighting Book Bans
I’m a huge supporter of public libraries as community third spaces and as opportunities for new “windows” and “doors” into the lived experiences of others. I support grants for my local libraries and continued state investments for libraries and organizations like the Library for Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians in my district. And I fight back against book bans that seek to erase the lived experiences of others.
Justice for Victims and Violence Prevention
I support commonsense reforms to prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, and gun violence.
In 2026 I was honored to receive Pittsburgh Action Against Rape’s Laura Ditka Visionary Award. Over the last 2 years, I have been proud to stand with advocates, survivors, and partners like PAAR to advocate for increased state funding for our rape crisis centers, which had been flat funded for six years. I’m happy to report that Pennsylvania’s rape crisis centers have received a $12 million line item increase in the 2026-27 budget.
Protecting Our Planet and Outdoor Spaces
Pennsylvanians have a right to clean air, pure water, and a healthy environment. But a right isn’t a right without enforcement. I fight to expand access to outdoor recreation spaces and public pools, invest in pedestrian and bike infrastructure in communities I represent, and work to combat climate change through renewable energy investments that create jobs and protect our communities.
Read about my Energy Efficiency Standards bill and the coalition supporting it.
Defending Rights, Dignity, and Safety
I strongly and unequivocally support the LGBTQ+ community, especially members of the transgender community, who face great risk of violence. Transgender people have the right to live freely and safely, but beyond that, they deserve to thrive. No one should have to fear losing their jobs, homes, or even their lives simply because of who they are.
I am working to protect our LGBTQ+ students and families from discrimination in schools, fighting against book bans, and helping create a streamlined and safe name change process for Pennsylvanians.
Investing in Those Who Served
The first piece of legislation that I sponsored and had signed into law was the Pennsylvania GI Bill, the first of its kind in the country, which provides our PA National Guard members to earn college benefits for their spouse and children. I fight for education benefits, healthcare, and support for veterans and active-duty military families and host a Veterans Service Officer in each of my offices every month for veterans to claim the benefits they deserve. I’m working to ensure every legislative office has the tools we need to better serve the veteran population.
Getting You Where You Need to Go
Reliable, safe transportation is essential for work, school, healthcare, and recreation. I fight for expanded public transit, better roads, and infrastructure that connects communities. That includes supporting multimodal options like walking, biking, and transit that my constituents are asking for.
As a daughter of an Operating Engineer and granddaughter of a bus driver, I’m proud to serve on the Pittsburgh Regional Transit board and on the Senate Transportation Committee.