Media Mentions
State Senator Steve Santarsiero: How a Bell-to-Bell K-12 Cellphone Ban Bill Took Shape
The Pennsylvania Senate passed SB 1014 last week, a bill to create cellphone-free classrooms from bell-to-bell in K-12 schools across our Commonwealth. As Senator Devlin Robinson (R–37), Senator Vincent Hughes (D–7), and I were writing the bill, we worked with many...
Solebury To Use State Grant To Renovate Historic Bond House
SOLEBURY TOWNSHIP, PA — A $350,000 grant awarded to Solebury Township by the state will be used toward the transformation of the historic Bond House at Aquatong Spring Park from a residential to a public use. According to Solebury Township, the grant from the state...
Aqua brings PFAS filters online with $5.7M loan that spares ratepayers
BRYN MAWR, PA — Aqua Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Essential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG), has completed a new PFAS treatment system at its Edgely Water Treatment Facility in Bristol Township, marking the tenth PFAS treatment facility the utility has placed into operation...
Patterson Farm Building Renovations Project Gets Funding
YARDLEY BOROUGH / LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA — Local lawmakers have secured over $1 million in state grants for projects in the borough and the township, one which includes funding for the Patterson Farm buildings renovation project. State Sen. Steve Santarsiero...
Doylestown Celebrates Last Day Of Hanukkah At The Giant Dreidel
DOYLESTOWN, PA — Doylestown Borough celebrated the last day of Hanukkah on Sunday afternoon with donuts, games, and dancing in the streets at the Giant Dreidel. Temple Judea, in partnership with Kehilat HaNahar (The Little Shul by the River), brought the afternoon of...
Inside the legislative effort to expel cellphones from Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools
A bill aiming to impose a ban on cellphones in Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools is gaining momentum in Harrisburg as educators struggle to compete with mobile devices for their students’ attention. The state Senate Education Committee unanimously voted Dec. 9 to advance...
Cellphone ban in PA schools closer to reality after this vote
Pennsylvania could soon follow more than half the states in the country in restricting cellphone use in schools if a bipartisan bill continues moving through the General Assembly. Senate Bill 1014 would require school districts to prohibit students from using...
Sen. Santarsiero Bill Would Ban Student Phones In Schools
School districts — whether public or private — across the commonwealth may be required to draft a policy prohibiting student cellphones with limited exceptions following a unanimous vote in the state Senate Education Committee Tuesday. State Sens. Devlin Robinson...
Santarsiero finds strong local support for proposed cellphone ban
A Central Bucks West High School teacher said at a meeting Tuesday evening that the learning environment at CB West has improved dramatically now that students can no longer use their cellphones in class. “This year has been absolutely wonderful” compared to last...
School Cell Phone Use Bill Under Discussion In Bucks Co.
LOWER BUCKS COUNTY – A bill on how to eliminate cell phone use in schools will be discussed during a webinar on Tuesday night. State Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10) was among state legislators who introduced a bill in October for a "bell-to-bell policy" prohibiting...
Devlin Robinson, Vincent J. Hughes and Steve Santarsiero: Kids don’t need their cell phones in school
When the effort to restrict student cellphone use in schools first began two years ago, it was met with skepticism. Some thought it was unrealistic. Others worried it would create new enforcement headaches for teachers or intrude on parents’ ability to reach their...
Morrisville Schools to remain open after Pennsylvania passes budget
Some 10 days after it warned it might run out of money and shut down in January, Morrisville School District this week felt a “huge sense of relief” learning the new Pennsylvania budget guarantees funding to keep it open. Passage of the $50.1 billion budget, ending a...
State senator feeling hopeful as Morrisville School District face shutdown
MORRISVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- The Morrisville School District is facing a financial crisis that could force the closure of its public schools by the end of January if Pennsylvania lawmakers fail to pass a long-overdue state budget. At a joint meeting Tuesday night...
‘No Excuse’ For No State Budget: Bucks Co. Senator
LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — As the PA State Budget impasse continues, Lower Bucks County Democratic lawmakers have sent a message to their GOP colleagues to make a deal. State Sen. Steve Santarsiero held a press conference late last week with fellow Democrats, calling...
State Senator Steve Santarsiero Hosts Panel and Community Discussion at Bucks County Community College on Cell Phone-Free Schools
State Senator Steve Santarsiero believes managing cell phone use is needed to help mitigate the impacts on Pennsylvania students. He hosted a panel Thursday night at Bucks County Community College to engage the community in a discussion about the benefits of cell...
Pennsylvania Senate Weighing School Cellphone Ban
(TNS) — The state Senate is poised to move forward on legislation to restrict cellphones in K-12 schools, although the specifics of the policy — whether an outright ban, or something less stringent — are still being worked out. At a hearing held by the Senate...
Pa. senators push bill mandating cellphone-free school days
Harrisburg, Pa. — Citing the steep decline in youth mental health and academic performance during the past decade, Sens. Devlin Robinson (R-37), Vince Hughes (D-7), and Steve Santarsiero (D-10) announced yesterday the introduction of bipartisan legislation requiring...
Electronics Recycling Event This Weekend At Central Bucks East
BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA - State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and State Rep. Tim Brennan (D-29) are teaming up to host an Electronics Recycling event on Saturday, Oct. 4 in Central Bucks County. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at Central Bucks East...
Panel To Discuss Student Cell Phone Bans
State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, a Democrat, will host the event Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Zlock Auditorium at the Bucks County Community College’s Newtown Township campus. The event will feature a panel to share information and resources regarding the...
State Senator Steve Santarsiero: American Democracy Is the Frog and the Water Is Starting to Boil
ABC/Disney’s craven decision to cancel Jimmy Kimmel should worry all Americans. The fact that yet another corporation has caved under pressure from the Trump Administration is concerning enough. That the pressure was in direct response to Mr. Kimmel voicing his...
State Senator Steve Santarsiero hosts PennDOT road tour in Lower Bucks County
State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) hosted state Department of Transportation officials on a road tour around the 10th Senate District, announcing planned roadway repair projects, highlighting needed improvements, and applauding work that has recently been...
Bucks County Democratic Lawmakers Speak Out on SEPTA Funding Crisis, Criticize State Senate Republicans for Failing to Reach Sustainable Solution
Local Democratic lawmakers called the Republican State Senate transit bill, which failed to pass a Thursday night vote, a “Band-Aid” for SEPTA funding that didn’t offer a sustainable long-term solution during a press conference hosted by State Sen. Steve Santarsiero...
Gov. Shapiro Visits New Amazon Data Center In Bucks County
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Gov. Josh Shapiro appeared in Falls Township late last week to help launch the new high-tech Amazon data center. State Sen. Steve Santarsiero joined Shapiro Thursday at the site of the new data center at the North Point Keystone Trade Center on the...
Bucks Co. Lawmaker Ready To Hit The Road For Annual Tour
LOWER BUCKS COUNTY — State Sen. Steve Santarsiero is taking it to the streets. The senator will host PennDOT representatives as he takes his annual road tour on Thursday around the 10th Senate District, which includes parts of Lower Bucks County.
State Lawmaker To Join PennDOT On Summer Road Tour In Bucks
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) will be hitting the road with officials with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) during a summer road tour on Thursday through the 10th Senatorial District, which stretches from Buckingham...
Buckingham Awarded $2M For PFAS Remediation System
BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — Buckingham Township has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (Pennvest) to build a new PFAS remediation system at the Hearthstone water treatment facility. The project will include the...
Pedestrian Crossing Warning Signals Debut At 2 Newtown Twp. Locations
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Two new pedestrian safety signals are officially in operation at Sycamore Street and Silo Drive and at the mid-block crossing at Tara Boulevard and Newtown-Yardley Road. State Senator Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Perry Warren were joined by...
Bucks Lawmakers Bringing ‘Workforce On Wheels’ To Newtown
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and State Rep. Perry Warren (D-31) are partnering with PA CareerLink in Bucks County to host a mobile assistance event for job seekers on Wednesday, July 30 at the Bucks County Community College Newtown Campus....
Bucks County shelter for domestic violence survivors expanding with help of state grant
A project to expand Bucks County's only domestic violence shelter got a $6.11 million boost in state funding. The funding comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan...
Upper Makefield residents want DEP enforcement action on jet fuel pipeline leak. What’s next
State officials told Upper Makefield residents Tuesday that new testing near a pipeline leak showing "elevated" levels of certain toxic chemicals is surprising and needs to be investigated. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection officials made these...
Bipartisan group of legislators announce advancement of flood risk bill
WILKES-BARRE — A bipartisan group of state lawmakers from the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force on Tuesday announced the advancement of legislation that would give Pennsylvania home buyers information regarding flood risks when purchasing residential...
Amazon Applauded For Coming To Bucks County. Find Out Why.
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Amazon's decision to choose Bucks County as one of two places in Pennsylvania to build a high-tech data center is being applauded by local lawmakers. State Rep. Jim Prokopiak and State Sen. Steve Santarsiero celebrated the announcement that Falls...
$2.87M Awarded To Bucks Co. Organizations For Housing Support Projects
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has announced more than $2.8 million in grants for multiple Bucks County projects under the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement program. The announcement was made by State Senator...
State Senator Steve Santarsiero: The GOP’s Budget Bill Will Take Food Away From Hungry Pennsylvanians
Thirty-five years ago, I was a young law student at Penn working at a student-run clinic for food stamp recipients at Community Legal Services’ offices at 52nd and Chestnut Streets in West Philadelphia. It was there that I met my wife, Ronni, who was a fellow student...
State Senator Steve Santarsiero: It’s Possible to Be an Advocate for the Homeless and Believe Encampments Are Not a Good Idea
The Bucks County Beacon recently published what purported to be a news story on the passage of Senate Bill 780, a piece of legislation that addresses homeless encampments. I say purported, because in the second paragraph of the piece, its author abruptly veers from...
Guest column: PRESS-ing for more wind and solar power in Pennsylvania
A lot has changed since 2004. In that year, some enterprising Harvard students launched TheFacebook, Yahoo.com was the most visited website and a ninth grade student named Taylor Alison Swift was looking for a record deal.
Lawmakers Call On DEP To Take Action Against Sunoco Over Upper Makefield Pipeline Leak
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Two Bucks County lawmakers have sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection urging them to bring an enforcement action against Sunoco/Energy Transfer to compel the remediation of contaminated wells near the...
Newtown ‘Scam Jam’ Offers Tips To Protect Against Fraud
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — State Senator Steve Santarsiero is teaming up with State Rep. Perry Warren and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking & Securities to bring "Scam Jam" to Newtown Township on Friday, May 2. The event, taking place from 10 a.m. to noon at the...
Disability Fair in New Hope Helps Those in Need with Resources
For the second year, disabled residents in Bucks County will have the chance to explore and have questions answered about county and state resources meant to serve and assist them at the Bucks County Disability Resource Fair in New Hope. The event is hosted by State...
Upper Makefield’s state and federal reps weigh in on pipeline leak
As the arduous investigation into and cleanup of jet fuel that leaked from an underground pipeline in Upper Makefield Township continues, related developments unfold nearly every day — like the three sternly written letters by elected officials sent at the same time...