In the News...

Funds Seen for State Human Services Ombudsman

Thursday, April 8 2010

The Denver Post
By: Colleen O'Connor
April 8th, 2010

Found money and a commitment from the Rose Community Foundation may fund an independent overseer for the state's human-services system.

State Sen. Bruce Whitehead, D-Hesperus, on Wednesday said Fort Lewis College will return as much as $250,000 to the Joint Budget Committee. He said that money could be used to cover about two-thirds of the ombudsman's office budget in the first year, if the bill to create it passes the House.

The bill, crafted by Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, passed the Senate this week. Today, Newell and Whitehead will take to the Senate floor during the budget process to try to protect the money from being spent elsewhere, Newell said.

"That means we will need only about $100,000 from private donors," Newell said.

She said the Rose Community Foundation has sent her a committment letter. "They didn't say how much money they'd give, but they said they absolutely believe in it," she said.

Whitehead said Fort Lewis College in Durango, which is in his district, had overestimated the number of American Indians enrolled and so received more money than it should have under a 1911 agreement with the federal government that allows Indian students to attend tuition-free.