Senator Ward, K E-Newsletter

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In this Update:

  • PA Treasurer Announces Short-Term Funding for Head Start, County Services
  • Remembering Three Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
  • Open Government: How to Access Senate Bills, Votes and More
  • Reporting School Threats Anonymously
  • Don’t be Fooled by Fraudulent Ticket Sellers
  • Resource for New Moms: Maternal Mental Health Hotline
  • Prostate Awareness Month: Early Detection is Key 

PA Treasurer Announces Short-Term Funding for Head Start, County Services

The Pennsylvania Treasury Department will make $500 million available for Pennsylvania’s Head Start providers and county governments, helping to keep essential services funded while the 2025-26 state budget is finalized.

The funds will be distributed via short-term, investment loans which recipients will be required to pay back following enactment of a state budget. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said that to be eligible for this program, Head Start providers and county governments must indicate the investment will be used for immediate operating expenses.

More information is available from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department.

Remembering Three Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

Three police officers were killed and two wounded serving a warrant Sept. 17 in York County, a heartbreaking reminder of the risk faced every day by those standing on the thin blue line between order and chaos.

The fallen officers, Detective Mark Baker, Sgt. Detective Cody Becker and Detective Isaiah Emenheiser, were members of the Northern York County Regional Police Department. Their shocking deaths highlight how crucial it is to stand behind law enforcement officers and give them the tools and support they need to serve communities in the safest manner possible.

May their families find comfort in this incredibly trying time.

Reporting School Threats Anonymously

Another school year is underway, and the Safe2Say Something program is available to train students and school employees how to recognize warning signs from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others, and to anonymously report the threat before it is too late.

Once a tip is reported, a crisis center assesses it and sends it to school administrators and/or law enforcement for intervention. This youth violence prevention program is run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Since 2019, the Safe2Say Something tipline has received more than 178,000 tips covering threats to schools, bullying and potential self-harm.

Open Government: How to Access Senate Bills, Votes and More

Pennsylvania Senate votes, debates, bills and much more can be accessed via the General Assembly’s website. Citizens can learn who represents them, read bills and amendments, review text of floor debates in the official Senate Journals, and see how senators voted on bills in committee and before the full Senate

The committee meeting schedule is also available, along with co-sponsorship memos and monthly expense reports for each senator. Senate sessions are livestreamed, and video from previous sessions is available back to Jan. 2025.

Pennsylvania statutes (our state laws), the state constitution, recently enacted laws, rules and regulations (PA Code), the PA Bulletin, and more can be viewed by going to the Statutes section

Don’t be Fooled by Fraudulent Ticket Sellers

The arrival of the NFL and college sports seasons is a good time to check out the playbook for avoiding fraudulent ticket sellers.

Attorney General Dave Sunday offers these suggestions to avoid being scammed:

  • Treat someone selling tickets to a popular sporting event with skepticism since these events are likely to be sellouts.
  • If you do buy from an individual, it should be someone you know personally, such as a relative, close friend or coworker.
  • Unless you know a seller personally, never pay for tickets with a peer-to-peer payment service — such as Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, CashApp or a wire transfer. If the person is a scammer, you won’t be able to get your money back because these apps don’t have the same consumer protections as credit cards.
  • When shopping for tickets, check the venue’s floor chart for the event to make sure that the section and seat number actually exist.
  • When buying tickets from a reputable seller, such as Ticketmaster or StubHub, make sure that the URL is the correct one and not for a look-alike site created by a scammer.

To report a scam, or if you believe you have been scammed, file a complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by calling 717-787-3391.

Resource for New Moms: Maternal Mental Health Hotline

New moms can experience mental health challenges during or after pregnancy. Some common signs of postpartum depression are:

  • Feeling sad or hopeless most of the time.
  • Having no interest in things you used to enjoy.
  • Not caring for yourself as well (dressing, showering).
  • Trouble focusing.
  • Not managing daily chores.
  • Sleeping or eating too much or too little.

Call or text the Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) for free, confidential support 24/7. Find out more here.

Prostate Awareness Month: Early Detection is Key 

About 13% of American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetimes, making it the most common cancer in men after skin cancer.

Early detection and treatment are crucial for improving outcomes. Learn about screening options and more here.

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