Beth Martinez Humenik

Biography

Senator Beth Martinez Humenik is a fourth generation Colorado native who has lived in the City of Thornton, a community of over 133,000 residents, since 1997. She has lived in the North Metro area for twenty-six years and is actively involved with the Thornton, Northglenn and Westminster municipal leaders that represent the three cities in Senate District 24.

The Senator's paternal grandparents migrated from Mexico to America during the Mexican Revolution. Once here, they proudly became American citizens. The Senator's maternal grandparents migrated from the mid-west to Colorado where they own land and farmed in what is now recognized as Weld County and many still farm in Prowers County. Many extended family members continue to live in rural Colorado. The Senator grew up primarily in Fort Collins, Colorado with three sisters and parents who were educators. She received a bachelor's degree and a Master of Science degree from Colorado State University.

Prior to her election to the Colorado Senate, Martinez Humenik served for seven years in local government as a Ward 3 Thornton City Councilor. She also worked in a variety of market industries, was a K-12 substitute educator as well as a former college adjunct professor.

2014 Election

Martinez Humenik won the 2014 general election 26,164 votes to 25,268 votes, defeating Democrat Judy Solano.

Senator Martinez Humenik Serves on the following two General Assembly Committees of Reference: as Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee and as Vice Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. She currently also serves as Chair of the Joint Technology Committee as well as Chair of two 2017 interim committees which are: Mental Health in the Juvenile and Criminal Justice System Legislative Oversight Committee, and the Statute Review Committee. The Senator serves as a member of the Colorado Health Exchange Legislative Oversight Committee, as a member of the Early Childhood School Readiness Legislative Oversight Committee as well as a variety of interim task force committees. She is a Cancer Caucus co-chair and is a member of additional legislative caucuses. On behalf of her constituents and communities, Senator Martinez Humenik also serves at the national level as an Executive Committee member of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), as a Health and Human Services Policy Committee member of the National Caucus of State Legislators (NCSL), as a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, as the Colorado Director for Women in Government (WIG), and as a Health and Human Services Policy Committee member for the Council of State Governments (CSG West). She has also served on other committees for these organizations since 2015 as well. The committee members of these groups are bipartisan legislators from across the United States and US territories who share information, Acts, resources and ideas that may affect or become policy decisions in State government.

2017 Legislative Session

Senator Martinez Humenik fought to keep our communities safe, oppose job-killing regulations, cut wasteful spending, and reform treatment for those with behavioral and mental health disorders. Some of the bills the Senator sponsored this session are included below:

Senate Bill 2 required all state government departments to be on a regular three-year schedule of review of their rules and regulations. With a number of changes being initiated or discussed currently by the Federal Government, SB17-002 would have made sure that all Colorado department rules and regulations: were updated, would accommodate the changes by increasing transparency for Colorado taxpayers, eliminate wasteful spending and the need for last minute supplemental budget requests due to not being prepared, as well as reduce the size of state government while repealing burdensome mandates on small businesses.

Senate Bills 21, 19, 12 and 242 address the way offenders with behavioral and mental health disorders are treated in the justice system. SB17-012 addresses Competency and Restorative Services, SB17-019 addresses medication consistency and SB17-021 initiates first-step transitional housing for youth and adults coming out of the correctional system.

Senate Bill 242 removes the words mental illness and replaces them with behavioral or mental health disorders in all Colorado Statutes where the term is referenced.

Senate Bill 279 clarifies certain statutes pertaining to urban renewal to make Colorado law work better to the goal of restoring communities for local governments.

As an educator, children, safety, as well as educational opportunities are very important to Senator Martinez Humenik. She sponsored Senate Bill 291 to reestablish the School Safety Resource Center Advisory Board, composed of a number of community leaders from around the state who make recommendations to the School Safety Resource Center regarding student as well as school safety.

In the Legislature, Senator Martinez Humenik is also a fierce advocate for all types of cancer awareness as well as other diseases. She champions efforts to increase transparency in the doctor's office, promotes frequent screening, has run or supported bills that help Medicaid clients get the services they need that also create cost savings and she continues to raise awareness on a variety of topics for the benefit of the people she serves in Colorado.