Media Mentions
Santarsiero Legislation Would Extend Health Coverage For Children
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — State Senators Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) and Michele Brooks (R-Mercer) are reintroducing legislation that will allow children to stay on their parent's health insurance until age 26. Under current state law, a child can stay on their parent's...
BC Discoveries cuts the ribbon on new dance and acting studios at the Stocking Works in Newtown Borough
NEWTOWN BOROUGH >> BC Discoveries Dance & Theater Arts Company celebrated the opening of its new 3,500 square foot home on Sunday with an open house and a little dancing in the rain. Company director Kristina Tuxhorn joined State Senator Steve Santarsiero, Newtown...
VIDEO: Groundbreaking of renovations at YMCA Fairless Hills celebrated in virtual format
This week, ‘the walls came tumbling down’ as an exterior wall of the decades old YMCA building in Fairless Hill was demolished as part of a year-long renovation and revitalization project. On Friday, February 26, the community celebrated in virtual format with a Zoom...
Wall comes tumbling down at YMCA Fairless Hills as part of $12M renovation project
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP >> An exterior wall at the decades old YMCA in Fairless Hill came crumblin' down last week as part of a year-long renovation and revitalization project. On Friday, February 26, the community celebrated a virtual groundbreaking with a Zoom call...
Fracking Permanently Banned In Delaware River Basin
Hydraulic fracking has been permanently barred in the Delaware River basin. The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), which is overseen by the governors of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and a representative from the federal government, voted 4-0...
Delaware River Basin Commission votes to prohibit high volume hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin
WEST TRENTON, N.J. >> The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) on Feb. 25 approved a final rule prohibiting high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the Basin. In a separate action, the commissioners directed its executive director to propose amendments to update...
Sustainable Farming In Bucks Co. Focus Of Roundtable Event
BUCKS COUNTY — Local farming experts and state officials will take in part of a virtual roundtable discussion on supporting sustainable agriculture in Bucks County. The event will be live streamed at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. Click here to register. State Sen....
Donald Trump and the impeachment trial dividing America
Thick snow covers the fields along the road to Piketown, Pennsylvania. A frosty atmosphere has gripped the countryside. Months after the federal election, large banners in support of former US President Donald Trump still hang from verandas or cling to the facades of...
GUEST OPINION: We can and must do justice
Earlier this week it was revealed that the Pennsylvania Department of State failed to advertise the 2019 passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would allow the victims of child sex abuse, whose claims had been barred by the statute of...
Lower Makefield dry town no more? Historic farmhouse first restaurant with liquor license
Cameron Troilo Properties is the first business to obtain a liquor license in Lower Makefield after a referendum last year overturned the law governing the serving of alcohol in a historically dry town. The family-owned developer is renovating a historic farmhouse on...
Pennsylvania Senate committee approves child custody bill honoring Kayden Mancuso for second time
A Pennsylvania Senate committee has approved for a second time a bill that puts the health, welfare and safety of a child above other factors in parental custody matters. Senate Bill 78 — better known as Kayden's Law — was reintroduced and unanimously voted out of the...
Bill To Reform Child Custody Process Moves Forward
Legislation named after a Pennsbury School District student who was tragically murdered is moving forward in Harrisburg. Senate Bill 78, known as Kayden’s Law, came before the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee Monday and was voted with bipartisan support out of...
‘Kayden’s Law’ Quickly Clears Senate Committee
LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA — A child-protection bill named in honor of a slain Lower Makefield girl was one of the first pieces of legislation approved by the state senate committee that was considering it. The bill, co-sponsored by Bucks County state Sen. Steve...
Bucks County hits grim milestone with over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths
At least 1,000 Bucks County residents have died from the coronavirus as of last week, a grim milestone surpassed as cases slow and vaccinations continue. Initial state Department of Health data put Bucks County’s deaths to COVID-19 at about 1,013 people as of Monday...
State Senator Santarsiero to host telephone Town Hall on COVID-19 vaccine
State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) is hosting a telephone town hall on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. During the town hall, he will provide important information and updates on the state-wide COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan, along with local updates on when,...
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is the lowest in the region. Advocates tell lawmakers an increase is overdue.
Democratic lawmakers heard from advocates, academics and business groups Monday on a renewed push to give minimum wage workers in Pennsylvania a raise to $15 an hour. Over 100 people attended the Zoom hearing on minimum wage hosted by the Pennsylvania Senate...
Santarsiero to serve as Dem Judiciary chair
State Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10th dist.) announced his appointment as minority-party chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In addition to his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, Santarsiero will serve on the Appropriations, Consumer Protection &...
‘I Remain Optimistic’: Santarsiero Shares Inauguration Message
NEWTOWN, PA — The Pennsylvania Senate representative for District 10 congratulated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Inauguration Day. Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol. A Scranton native, he won...
The way forward starts with the truth
While shocking, the events of Jan. 6, 2021 were hardly surprising. Leaving aside Donald Trump’s often abhorrent behavior over the last four years of his presidency, his actions in just the last few months were a strong signal of what was to come. At the first...
Pa. Senate leader says GOP will likely follow court lead in filling vacant seat
The head of the Pennsylvania Senate said Friday night the Republican caucus will wait for a court ruling before making a decision on filling a seat from western Pennsylvania. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, said Friday night the Senate Republicans...
How ‘a sad day in Pennsylvania’ became a sadder day at the U.S. Capitol
HARRISBURG — Trump flags outnumbered U.S. flags in the "America First" crowd yelling outside Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's office window. About 200 self-described patriots were pledging their allegiance to the outgoing president and pleaded for Pennsylvania state...
Delaware Valley State Senators Discuss Vaccine Rollout in Virtual Town Hall
Three Democratic state Senators from the Delaware Valley and the state health secretary gave their reassurances to the public about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines during a virtual town hall Wednesday, while also answering questions about how its distribution...
Pennsylvania lawmakers react to Capitol breach: ‘An absolute disgrace,’ Pat Toomey says; ‘It’s an attempted coup,’ Tom Wolf says
Pennsylvania lawmakers in Washington, Harrisburg and the Lehigh Valley are reacting to the breach of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump that forced a halt to the certification of the Electoral College vote Wednesday.
Area Lawmakers React To Attack At U.S. Capitol
A number of state and federal lawmakers representing the area have responded after attackers took siege of the U.S. Capitol during Congress’ certification of President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory. After rioters broke through law enforcement barriers, members of Congress...
Pa. Senate Republicans refuse to seat Democrat Brewster in contentious swearing-in ceremony
A Western Pennsylvania lawmaker who won re-election in November was not sworn-in to the state Senate on Tuesday with the rest of the victors, as Republicans voted to deny his seating and ponder a challenge by his electoral opponent. Sen. Jim Brewster, a McKeesport...
$8.7M project at Washington Crossing Historic Park almost ready to start
A long-awaited $8.7 million project to rehabilitate 11 historic homes and other structures throughout Washington Crossing Historic Park in Upper Makefield should start next month, state Senator Steve Santarsiero, D-10, Lower Makefield announced. The work, which has...
Groundbreaking Held For $8.7M Washington Crossing Park Project
WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA — The groundbreaking for the $8.7 million rehabilitation project at Washington Crossing Historic Park will be held in February, local elected officials announced Monday. The project, which will involve fixing 11 historic homes and other...
Bucks hospitals, museums awarded $3.5 million in grants
A total of $3.5 million in state grant funds have been awarded to improve local infrastructure, health and safety, and arts and culture in Bucks County, state Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10) said. The awards will go to New Hope Borough, Doylestown Hospital, Bucks County...
State Awards Funding To Neshaminy Creek Water Improvement Project
NEWTOWN, PA — The Bucks County Conservation District will receive $262,558 in grant funding for a water quality improvement project at an equine facility in Newtown Township, state elected leaders announced Wednesday. The improvements that will be made through the...
Local lawmakers to hold virtual town hall on COVID vaccine
WEST CHESTER — State Sen.-Elect Carolyn Comitta, state Sen. Tim Kearney, and state Sen. Steve Santarsiero will hold a virtual town hall meeting with Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine to answer residents’ questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and...
New Hope awarded grant for construction of a new parking garage
NEW HOPE >> New Hope Borough has been awarded a $1.75 million dollar grant towards the construction of a new parking garage, funded by Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. “Council and I extend our deepest gratitude to State Senator Steve...
Hammerstein Museum Awarded $500,000 Matching Grant
The nonprofit Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center (OHMTEC) has been awarded $500,000 in Pennsylvania state funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capitol Program (RACP). RACP is a commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the...
State awards $3.5M in redevelopment assistance funding to four Bucks County projects
BUCKS COUNTY >> State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) has announced that $3.5 million in state grant funds to improve local infrastructure, health and safety, and arts and culture in Bucks County, which will help grow and strengthen businesses, while providing a...
Bucks lawmakers announce $1.5M in redevelopment funding for Morrisville Borough
MORRISVILLE BOROUGH >> State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and State Representative Perry Warren (D-31) have announced $1.5 million in state grant funding for improvements in Morrisville Borough. The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks will receive $1...
Bucks County towns get $7.5 million in state redevelopment project grants
A new, five-level parking garage in New Hope is one of several projects included in some $7.5-million in state grants awarded Tuesday to wide-ranging economic redevelopment projects throughout Bucks County. The 350-car garage will receive about $1.75 million in grant...
Wolf: State poised to uphold ACA if courts repeal federal law
For Middletown Supervisor Anna Payne and others living with cystic fibrosis, a potential decision from the U.S. Supreme Court could be a matter of life and death, she said Tuesday. Payne joined Gov. Tom Wolf and state lawmakers in Doylestown Borough on Tuesday morning...
Lower Makefield rededicates six Civil War tombstones during ceremony at Slate Hill
LOWER MAKEFIELD >> In the quiet solitude of the Slate Hill Cemetery, residents and community leaders gathered on Sept. 25 to rededicate six Civil War tombstones, two that had faded with time and four that were stolen, destroyed or never placed. Veterans of Foreign...
Kayden’s Law has a real chance
In these fractious times, we often use this space to critique our state legislature for the things it isn't doing, often because partisan politics gets in the way. So it's only fair that today we praise the 14 members of the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee for...
East Rockhill wants changes to quarrying permit from state lawmakers, DEP
East Rockhill officials were suspicious of a nearby quarry's records to keep an active mining permit, where 500 tons of stone had to be removed annually to keep a state permit. On Tuesday, supervisors unanimously approved a resolution asking the state legislature and...
Doylestown biotech center begins expansion
The nonprofit Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) in Doylestown recently began a $19 million expansion project. A total of 41 companies work at the location, but there are more than 70 member companies. Expansion is expected to create more than 100 jobs and...