February 07, 2012 10:58 PM UTC

Colorado Civil Unions Backers Seek Leverage From Prop 8 Ruling

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• by: Colorado Pols

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols:

The backers of legislation that would recognize same-sex civil unions in Colorado cheered a ruling Monday by a federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional…

Tuesday’s 2-1 ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared that California’s Proposition 8, which voters approved in 2008, was a violation of the civil rights of gays and lesbians.

“Today’s ruling, if upheld, will restore the freedom to marry in California and add our nation’s largest state as another engine of progress for the country,” said [One Colorado executive director Brad] Clark.

“As this case makes its way through the courts, we will continue to pursue critical legal protections for all families here in Colorado.”

A poll follows: will today’s decision on California’s Proposition 8 help civil unions become law in Colorado? We discussed before the new role of Republican civil unions proponents in the debate–we’ll be curious to see how this decision fits into Coloradans for Freedom’s message, and whether this “activist” court ruling will harden opposition from some conservatives.

Don’t get us wrong, we know where the course of history is leading. This polls show very clearly who is winning the debate in the long run, and who is losing. This is about whether or not the Republican Party in Colorado is willing to adapt in a timeframe that does not politically damage them further–a big part of why we have “Coloradans for Freedom” to begin with.

As we’ve said, it’s really a debate within the GOP now.

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