One of the best parts of summer for me is getting to spend a bit of time with my family.  The late nights spent away from them during the legislative session seem to fade away when we all come together in the summer. 

Sadly, I’ve found that there are families in our community who don’t get to spend much time enjoying the simple things because they live in a constant state of worry.  People like a concerned mother wondering, “How am I going to afford to take care of my sick child?”  Or an abused child silently pleading, “Will this ever stop?”

Hearing those voices is why I believe it’s a privilege to work those late nights and weekends at the state Capitol protecting our most vulnerable. This month, four bills I’ve sponsored to protect our children and families went into effect, and I thought you might want to know a bit about them.

SB 11-128: Child-only health insurance plans

Helps keep children insured by ensuring health insurance companies offer child-only plans so parents can keep their children healthy even if they can’t afford health insurance for themselves. Despite people telling me it couldn’t be done, we had a series of delicate negotiations among the child advocates and businesses and ended up with everyone winning.  It is one of the first of its kind in the country and is now being used as model legislation for other states.

 SB10-171: Creates a child protection ombudsman

After 35 children died within three years, although being touched by the child welfare system, we created a place where people can now go for issues and concerns about the child protection system.  It’s my goal to ensure every child in Colorado is safe from harm. After two years of negotiations, advisory groups, and requests for proposals, the office is now up and running!

SB 11-133: Fair discipline in public schools

Some children in Colorado are coming out of school with unnecessary criminal records. This bill created a task force to ensure schools are using the most effective approaches to correct student behavior without criminalizing them yet still fostering a supportive learning environment.  We are seeking to reduce the number of kids entering the youth justice system, save taxpayer dollars, and save parent time and money while reducing dropout rates, and increasing graduation rates. We just started meeting and will have recommendations by November.

SB 11-120: Protections for youth in foster care

Enables youth in foster care to work toward independence by helping them to recover from identity theft and participating in more extracurricular activities.  It’s hard to believe, but youth in foster care are three times more likely to become a victim of identity theft.  Their records are more exposed to more people, and their own birth parents, families or even foster care parents use their identity without them knowing it.  So, when a foster care youth gets ready to become self-sufficient and applies for a car loan, apartment, or even a job, she is literally left out in the cold, trying to repair credit she’s never used.  SB 120 helps the youth to see (and perhaps, repair) their credit history before leaving care.

To me, it’s always important to protect our children, but it’s of crucial importance during tough economic times to make sure that we’re looking out for each other. As many of you know, I’ve been through some very tough economic times myself, and I know the serious toll it can take on a family.

This week, children in Colorado are just a bit safer, and I’m privileged to fight for them year-round.

Next town hall: “Back to School Tips for Parents,” 9 a.m., Sept. 10 at Blueberry’s on Littleton Boulevard.  Or come by my Western Welcome Week booth for a free root beer float on my birthday, Aug. 20. 

State Sen. Linda Newell serves District 26, which includes Littleton, Englewood, Sheridan, Cherry Hills Village, west Centennial, BowMar and Columbine Valley. She can be reached at Linda.Newell.senate@gmail.com