Cathy Osten

‘Conor’s Law’ Passes State Senate With Senator Osten, Bipartisan Support

HARTFORD – The ‘Conor’s Law’ skateboard helmet bill that was introduced by state Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) at the behest of Ledyard mother Holly Irwin passed the state Senate this evening on an overwhelming and bipartisan basis and now heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Bill 290 passed the state Senate on a 34-1 vote, with all voting in favor except for Republican state Senator Joe Markley of Southington.

“Conor was a young man with a bright, bright future,” Sen. Osten said on the Senate floor, recalling Conor’s personal, educational, and athletic achievements. “I know Holly misses her son, but she believes that this bill is a way to make a difference for other parents so they don’t have to experience a death as a result of an accident that otherwise may have been prevented.”

The bill requires children under 15 years old to wear helmets while riding a skate board, while roller-skating or inline skating. The bill was introduced by Sen. Osten and Ms. Irwin in memory of her son Conor, an accomplished student-athlete who died at the age of 14 following an accidental fall from his skateboard.

At the March 5 public hearing on the bill, Ms. Irwin told the life story of her son Conor, an active student-athlete who played many sports and who always wore a variety of helmets, but did not wear one when skateboarding, in part because it is not required by law. He died in December 2016, 10 days after suffering a head injury following a fall from his skateboard.