Information from press release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

As the school year comes to an end this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul is highlighting a new era that will start in September with a ban on smartphones during the school day.

Hochul said the “bell to bell” is a shift to distraction-free learning, and an emphasis on students’ academic performance and mental health.

“I’ll never stop working to deliver the best results for our kids – and that’s why the era of smartphone distractions in New York schools ends today,” Hochul said today. “My team is working with key stakeholders across the state to ensure school districts finalize and publish their distraction-free policy by the Aug. 1 deadline. When students return this fall, New York’s distraction-free schools will deliver the best possible learning environments – and they’ll help give our kids their childhood back.”

New York State’s distraction-free school law will be in effect for the 2025-26 School Year. It applies to all schools statewide in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

New York State’s Distraction-Free Schools Law:

• Prohibits unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day (from “bell to bell”), including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods
• Allows schools to develop their own plans for storing smartphones during the day — giving administrators and teachers the flexibility to do what works best for their buildings and students
• Secures $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free
• Requires schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day when necessary
• Requires teachers, parents and students to be consulted in developing the local policy
• Prevents inequitable discipline

Students will have authorized access to simple cellphones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction, such as laptops or tablets used as part of lesson plans.

The new state policy includes several exemptions to smartphone restrictions, including for students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, where required by a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), for academic purposes, or for other legitimate purposes, such as translation, family caregiving and emergencies.

Governor Hochul pursued this initiative after engaging in a statewide listening tour with teachers, parents and students. Her report “More Learning, Less Scrolling: Creating Distraction-Free Schools” underscores the following:

• Smartphones distract students and inhibit learning and creativity
• Phone-free environments do not compromise student safety
• Phone-free environments support the mental health of students and teachers
• Open communication and direct guidance for all stakeholders is key for successful implementation
• Schools must address any parent concerns about staying in contact with their children during the day
• An effective distraction-free policy must focus on the entire school day, rather than solely on time in the classroom
• Schools can strengthen their distraction-free environment by connecting more students with in-person engagement like clubs, sports, arts and other programming

New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person said, “Bell-to-bell distraction-free schools aren’t a theory; they’re already working in districts across New York. With phones out of sight and minds fully in the moment, we’ve seen students’ joy, focus and friendships return. Now it’s time to scale it statewide. NYSUT is proud to stand with Governor Hochul in making distraction-free learning the law, and we’re ready to help school communities learn from each other and share what’s working so that every district is ready this fall. Our kids deserve nothing less.”

New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Robert S. Schneider said, “School boards take seriously the importance of reducing classroom distractions and identifying ways to support students’ responses to mental health challenges stemming from social media use and other pressures. Prior to enactment of this new law, school boards across the state have developed and strengthened policies related to student use of cell phones and internet-connected devices. This summer, school boards are reengaging in that previous work with local stakeholders in order to ensure that policies comply with this new statewide requirement in time for the new school year in September.”

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Robert Ortt

ALBANY – In response to the passage of S.8417 (Krueger) / A.8888 (Simon), the Senate Republican Conference, led by members of the State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, penned a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul calling for a veto of this destructive legislation.

The bill, which passed both houses during the final hours of the 2025 Legislative session, would eliminate New York’s long standing “100-foot rule” for natural gas service.

This “100-foot rule” requires utilities to cover the cost of new gas service connections located within 100 feet of an existing main. S.8417/A.8888 repeals the 100 foot rule, which will result in shifting these costs, which range from $2,500 to $10,000 per building, to residents and businesses. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has also indicated eliminating the 100-foot rule could accelerate an unsustainable transition, pushing more customers to depend on an already overstressed electric grid without adequate generation or storage capacity.

“We write to respectfully urge you to veto Senate Bill No. 8417 (Krueger) / Assembly Bill No. 8888 (Simon), which would eliminate New York’s long standing “100-foot rule” for natural gas service. This rule currently requires utilities to cover the cost of new gas service connections located within 100 feet of an existing main. The proposed legislation would shift these costs—ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 per building—to customers, placing an undue burden on homeowners, builders, and renters across the state,” the letter reads.

“This bill will only continue to drive up costs on New Yorkers who are already struggling with energy affordability,” said Robert Ortt, the State Senate Republican Leader. “Democrats’ delusional energy policies have once again gotten in the way of realistic solutions for hardworking New Yorkers. This is a bad bill that should have never been passed, and the Governor should do the right thing and veto it. Our Conference will continue to advocate for smart, realistic, cost effective energy solutions.”

“While we support the state’s commitment to a clean energy future, the path to that future must be practical, affordable and reliable. Policies that undermine affordability and energy security, especially for working families, will only erode public confidence and deepen economic challenges.

For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to veto S.8417 / A.8888 and preserve the 100-foot rule for gas service in New York State,” closed the letter.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Canalside Community Church at right and the First Presbyterian Church of Albion in back are shown last evening on East State Street.

The temperatures will be cooler in Orleans County today after several days of a heat wave.

The high today is forecast for 71, about a 20-degree drop from the highs earlier this week.

There will likely be showers and a chance for a thunderstorm before noon, and then a chance for shower sin the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Rain is in the forecast for Friday with a high near 85, followed by highs of 80 on Saturday, 81 on Sunday and 88 on Monday.

Press Release, Police Benevolent Association of New York State

ALBANY – The Police Benevolent Association of New York State released the following statement today, attributable to its president Lt. James McCartney:

“The Police Benevolent Association of New York State appreciates the time and resources spent by the Office of the Attorney General to gather and analyze data on law officer pursuits of suspects. Our brother and sister officers have variously initiated pursuits by car, motorcycle, boat, ATV, snowmobile and other vehicles. The PBA of New York State agrees that police pursuits are dangerous: for the suspect, for the officers involved in the pursuit and for the general public.

However, we strongly disagree with the one-sided research in this report, which implies that officer decision-making is the sole cause of unsafe pursuits. Above all—and missing from the OAG’s announcement—is that it is never legally allowable for a civilian to decide they do not want to stop or yield to a police officer’s commands toward their vehicle. Likewise, it is never legally allowable for a civilian to decide to flee an initiated traffic stop.

The officers we represent make split-second, life or death decisions every single day. They do so by balancing many factors, including the seriousness of an offense, their own personal safety and the well-being of the general public. Rather than once again scrutinizing the decisions made by police officers, we urge the OAG and New York’s lawmakers to instead consider passing laws which increase criminal liability and penalties for those who flee from lawful traffic stops and investigations.”

In its 2007 ruling in the case of Scott v. Harris, the United States Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of a Georgia sheriff’s deputy who took action to terminate a police pursuit. The ensuing crash left the suspect in the case permanently paralyzed. Even so, the Supreme Court found that public policy which bans, limits or affects the in-chase mechanics of a high-speed police pursuit will only encourage suspects to flee more often. The court referred to such policy as an “invitation to impunity-earned-by-recklessness.”