Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: “Drug-exposed infants are a growing tragedy in Colorado,” wrote Sen. Bob Schaffer, R-Fort Collins, in an op-ed to The Colorado Statesman. “They are the most expensive babies delivered and possess the ability to swamp every system involved with their care — hospitals, child services, foster care and schools.”

Schaffer said that nationally 11% of women used drugs during pregnancy and nearly 375,000 newborns “annually may be damaged by drug exposure.” Research on the implications of this tragedy, Schaffer said, were only just now being compiled.

“Research … is beginning to reveal a truly disturbing picture,” Schaffer wrote. “The chilling fiscal implications are exceeded only by the merciless human misfortune.”

According to Schaffer, infants who had been exposed to drugs in-utero required 13 extra days in the hospital in contrast with healthy infants, and the severest cases could cost upwards of $300,000.

But while other states had already taken steps to address the problem, Schaffer wrote that Colorado couldn’t seem to find a suitable solution. Some lawmakers advocated for arresting and charging pregnant mothers and others called for intervention, education, drug treatment and free prenatal care.

“The medical community is skittish about reporting … and there’s the great dilemma facing pregnant drug abusers themselves,” Schaffer wrote. “Such women are unlikely to seek initial prenatal care when confronted with the fear of criminal implications.”

Schaffer advocated for more criminal action in the case of the physical damage inflicted on the children instead of sending drug-exposed children home with their mothers without scheduling follow-up care.

“Child abuse and neglect laws should be expanded to include drug-exposed infants,” wrote Schaffer. “This would allow quick intervention … to prevent further abuse to newborns. More important, Colorado needs to be effective in mobilizing communities to stop drug use through a full understanding of the true cost to taxpayers and to innocent children.”

Twenty-Five Years Ago: “I’m not satisfied,” Gov. Bill Owens told the Colorado Municipal League at the end of a weeklong tour of the Western Slope.

While improvements had been made in student test scores and school accountability, the Colorado Education Association had made public complaints that Owens did not understand the challenges teachers faced due to facing large percentages of students in poverty, and a lack of parental support.

Owens was not having it. “I’m not willing to accept as an excuse that it’s a tough job,” Owens said. “It can and it will be done. I fully funded K-12 this year. We’re providing the funding on one side and accountability on the other. The schools where teachers refuse to make excuses are the schools that are succeeding.”

Owens said that 30% of Colorado’s third graders weren’t reading at grade level, which only worsened as students progressed through elementary school, culminating in 50% of seventh graders not reading at grade level.

“I’m almost to the point where no matter what I do for education, the union has a different agenda,” Owens said. “What’s best for the child is not necessarily what’s best for the union.”

In addition to drawing fire from the teacher’s union, Owens was also dogged by gun-rights protestors who were infuriated over Owens’ signing of several minor gun-control bills in response to the Columbine High School tragedy.

“If they claim their Second Amendment right,” Owens told The Colorado Statesman, “I ask them to respect my First Amendment rights. I’m a hunter in Colorado and Wyoming. I have not changed my position on guns. I’ve always wanted to make it more difficult for children and criminals to have guns.”

Rachael Wright is the author of several novels including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette.