Lower Bucks Today

To encourage civic engagement and enhance students' understanding of the legislative process, Senator Frank Farry (R-6) hosted a mock legislature event for local high school students in Bucks County on October 25. The initiative provided an opportunity for students to experience being a senator for a day.

"I believe in a strong foundation of practical learning and that is what this program is about," said Farry. "The students have the opportunity to experience the legislative process firsthand, while developing their own positions and actively engaging in debates with their peers to come up with a solution together."

Over 50 high school students from Bensalem High School, Bucks County Technical High School, Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, Neshaminy High School, and William Tennent High School participated. The event was held at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, where Farry himself studied.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Mark S. Schweiker opened the event with remarks on the legislative process and shared his government experiences with the students. Following this, participants were divided into five standing committees to debate legislation modeled after real bills introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate. Each committee selected a chairperson and a sponsor for each bill, with guidance from Senate staff members from Harrisburg, Farry's district office, former elected officials, and government affairs professionals.

"I saw things in ways that I didn’t see before because I worked together with people from different districts, with different experiences, and they even changed my mind a little bit. It was a great experience," said Julianna Cosenza, a student at Neshaminy High School.

The event concluded with a mock general session of the Senate led by Farry. Ten pieces of legislation moved out of committee for consideration by all participating student senators. Committee chairmen presented these bills for debate followed by a final vote.

Nicholas Mento from William Tennent High School attended for the second time and expressed satisfaction over his school's increased participation this year. "This program is so valuable for the students. They can learn the legislative process and the negotiations and compromises that go along with that process," said Josh Stoner, Social Studies Teacher at Neshaminy High School.