Stephens Blows GOP Cover on Civil Unions Legislation?

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by: Colorado Pols

An interesting few Tweets this morning from reporter John Schroyer of the Colorado Springs paper–covering a speech made by Colorado House Majority Leader Amy Stephens today at the Colorado Republican Party Central Committee meeting:

“A 33rd vote stopped gay marriage,” Rep. Stephens said, mistakenly referring to the civil unions legislation which passed the Colorado Senate before dying in the GOP-controlled House Judiciary Committee in March as “gay marriage.” What Rep. Stephens means is the winning of a slim GOP majority in the Colorado House, which gave Republicans leadership of the chamber, is what “stopped” the civil unions bill from becoming law. That’s more or less what she has to mean, since the 2011 civil unions bill was never voted on by the full House.

And that’s a noteworthy statement coming from Majority Leader Stephens, after House Speaker Frank McNulty reportedly assured journalists and advocates for civil unions that Republicans in the House would be allowed to “vote their conscience” on the bill. Several GOP House members did express support, but due to the Judiciary Committee’s vote they never got the chance to approve it. With poll numbers showing a sweeping generational shift away from the GOP’s traditional social conservative position against civil unions, there was as much or more hope this year that civil unions might actually become law–even in a split legislature.

Unless, of course, Republican House leadership had no intention of letting a bill so upsetting to their increasingly antsy base become law on their watch–and paid lip service to fairly considering civil unions while arranging to kill it. Which is pretty much exactly what Stephens implied today.

Anyway, we thought this little inconsistency was worth a mention, just in case the Tim Gills of the world had any residual doubts about our one seat razor-thin GOP House majority.

7 thoughts on “Stephens Blows GOP Cover on Civil Unions Legislation?”

JeffcoBlue says:

September 24, 2011 at 9:56 pm

Republicans lie. And they are haters.

But it’s good to know that Stephens has taken a side in the fight she said was bad for the party!

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1. MetaData says:
  
  September 25, 2011 at 2:36 am
  
  The Republican Base functions with a primitive intellectual framework that requires constant triggering by emotional language, especially fear and tribalism. Conservative Christians and the Super Wealthy share this primitive way of functioning in the world. Victimization and the sense of external threat are common themes: “Those People want to take your money, or attack your faith.”
  
  Yes, the leaders of the Party lie, but that is merely the rational and literal way of looking at it. The more important point is HOW they lie. The sub-content of their lies is the constant evoking tribalism and Us vs Them.
  
  Libertad and BJ are perfect examples of the primitive intellectual functioning; they don’t have the intellectual tools to understand or construct an argument. ArapaGOP is an example of the Party Establishment trying to push tribalist totems. He doesn’t even bother to answer the criticisms because he is too busy pushing ju-ju juice talking poinst.
  
  As for Libertarians, they are different creatures, true believers in a wierd priesthood.. It isn’t even bother talking to them.
  
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  1. JeffcoBlue says:
    
    September 26, 2011 at 7:02 pm
    
    His TPs are perfectly in line with the GOP TP of the day, and you’re right that he is a hit and run type who doesn’t try to defend what he writes. But he’s a busy man with a job to do!
    
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BlueCat says:

September 24, 2011 at 10:32 pm

and only what they fear which is pretty much everything that has changed since the 50s.

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davebarnes says:

September 25, 2011 at 1:39 am

he is brilliant and will target weak (with the voters) anti-gay legislators as he done for the last decade

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ArapaGOP says:

September 27, 2011 at 5:01 am

You guys are much too witty for the faux outrage. Would you like a hankie?

Elections do matter, just like she says. Wake me up when this is the issue that decides one.

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1. BlueCat says:
  
  September 27, 2011 at 8:22 am
  
  that was more incoherent than usual.
  
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