The West Steps

Latest Episodes:

The West Steps: Behind the scenes in investigating maternal deaths Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

What happens after a bill becomes a law? In the case of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee legislation, a whole lot. Shivani Bhatia, Maternal Health Coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, joins us to reveal all the gears set in motion in the past few months to reduce maternal mortality in Colorado. To learn more about our maternal mortality prevention program and to access data reports, see CDPHE website here. Access materials from their public awareness campaign in English and Spanish, and learn more about the campaign here. Learn about statewide collaboration to address maternal mental health here. Folks who are interested in receiving information about upcoming maternal mortality prevention stakeholder events, to be held in early 2020, can email preventmaternalmortality@state.co.us.

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A Network for Kids Jun 20, 2019

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Our summer episode of The West Steps includes the diverse voices of leaders in our statewide It’s About Kids Network. Each year we gather with them at a two-day retreat to examine progress for kids during the legislative session. Then we explore issues facing kids in leaders’ communities to kick off the next year of policy advocacy for Colorado children. Hear Network Manager Katie Creedon and a few leaders explain the power of the network.

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Real results for kids May 10, 2019

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We go deep into what really happened under the Gold Dome for our official season finale (expect special editions throughout the summer). Riley Kitts spent hundreds of hours this session lobbying legislators and advancing Children’s Campaign priority legislation. Hear his insights on what really went down, including a look at all the maneuvers and shenanigans at the end—and he reviews the successful legislation that will support Colorado children and families.

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100 votes for moms May 03, 2019

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Bills to provide dental benefits to pregnant women and fight trends in maternal deaths have failed in recent years. In the past few weeks, both proposals—and many others—have successfully passed the legislature. One even had the unanimous support of all 100 Colorado legislators. What happened? Erin Miller, VP of Health Initiatives, joins us to discuss the shifts in media, advocacy and community-led policy change that are driving big wins for mothers and babies.

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Family planning is future planning Apr 26, 2019

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One of the biggest public health successes in Colorado in the past decade has been the drastic drop in the teen pregnancy rate. We examine barriers that remain—and new obstacles at the federal level. Join Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives, and Samantha Espinoza, Policy Analyst, to explore how preventing unplanned pregnancies and ensuring teens have access to comprehensive sexual education result in better outcomes for kids.

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Where credit is due Apr 19, 2019

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There’s no time like tax season to better understand how advocates use our federal and state tax codes to remove barriers to financial security for Colorado families. Bill Jaeger joins us to explore the pros and cons of tax credits —and spell out what they mean for state and family budgets. These are the things TurboTax doesn’t explain.

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The largest mobilization of our federal government other than war Apr 11, 2019

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The U.S. Constitution requires an “enumeration” of every person living here every 10 years. It takes you a few minutes to fill out your census form, but it takes our federal government a full decade to gear up to count us all. Everyone—especially young children—need to be counted to ensure our political, financial, social and government systems are equally applied across our country. Listen in as our VP for Research Initiatives, Sarah Hughes, blows your mind with the scale, significance and high stakes of the 2020 Census.

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How to spend $30 billion Apr 04, 2019

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Our Government Affairs Director, Riley Kitts, explains how six people decide to spend Colorado’s entire $30 billion public budget in one year. You’ll be surprised about how long it takes for the “long bill” to come together, and some of the maneuvers legislators attempt to steer money to their priorities. It’s the one single bill that legislators are required to pass and many other bills are dependent on it. It moves fast, and a lot is on the line in the few intense days it is being debated.

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The funded non-mandate Mar 28, 2019

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Advocates and legislators in favor of full-day kindergarten have secured $185 million to ensure every child who wants it can access a full day of the foundation year in their K-12 education. Now that the money is secured, advocates still need to pass a bill through the legislature—and that begins April 9 with the first hearing. Bill Jaeger comes back to bring us up to date on this endeavor, and how you can get involved to get it across the finish line.

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The experience of speaking up Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

Go behind the scenes of our advocacy day, Speak Up For Kids, and hear directly from advocates as they navigate the marble halls of the Colorado State Capitol looking for legislators to lobby. Their experience may surprise you, and make you think about how much power your story has.

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