(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(D) Julie Gonzales
(R) Janak Joshi
80%
40%
20%
(D) Jena Griswold
(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Hetal Doshi
50%
40%↓
30%
(D) Jeff Bridges
(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
50%↑
40%↓
30%
(D) Diana DeGette*
(D) Wanda James
(D) Milat Kiros
80%
20%
10%↓
(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Alex Kelloff
(R) H. Scheppelman
60%↓
40%↓
30%↑
(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) E. Laubacher
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
30%↑
20%
(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Jessica Killin
55%↓
45%↑
(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Shannon Bird
(D) Manny Rutinel
45%↓
30%
30%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
"The shot": Fran and Anna Simon kiss after their civil union ceremony. Photo by Evan Semon, Out Front Colorado If you were part of last night's partying related to the first legal civil union ceremonies for LGBT couples in the state of Colorado, chances are you're not even awake yet (unless you haven't gone to […]
FOX 31's Eli Stokols: On Monday morning, the Colorado House of Representatives did something it has never done before, debating the civil unions bill that’s been introduced for three straight years. The debate could have happened at the end of last year’s session, after civil unions survived three successive hearings before GOP-controlled committees, but then […]
There's lots of news to be had today on gay rights. First, the Colorado State House Judiciary Committee today heard arguments on the Civil Unions bill. The bill is expected to pass easily through committee votes and then on the floor with some Republican support. But the big news for Coloradans looking forward to more […]
State Sen. Pat Steadman marking the day, as legislation to legalize Civil Unions is out of the Senate and on its way to the Colorado House.
(Promoted by Colorado Pols) For those of you keeping track of Senate Bill 11 on Civil Unions, it passed the Senate Appropriations in an early morning meeting on a 4-3 vote. Next up will be 2nd reading on the Senate Floor, expected for Friday, February 8th with final Senate passage expected the following week. The […]
SUNDAY UPDATE: Lynn Bartels of the Denver paper gives former Sen. Ed Jones’ offensive remarks some belated attention, and background, in a blog post late yesterday evening.—– FOX 31's Eli Stokols reports on yesterday's rally to "Protect Marriage" at the state capitol: At the event, organized by the Colorado Catholic Conference, opponents of Senate Bill […]
(Promoted by Colorado Pols) Denver Nuggets star player, Kenneth Faried, has made a video with his two moms voicing their support for civil unions in Colorado. “Nobody can ever tell me I can’t have two mothers because I really do,” said Faried. Faried’s two mothers, Carol and Waudda, have been together for eleven years. Waudda […]
As announced in an email from LGBT advocacy organization One Colorado today:
The Colorado Civil Union Act has been scheduled for its first hearing — Wednesday, January 23, at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Civil unions is a critical piece of legislation for our community. If passed, it will provide committed same-sex couples in the state with the protections they need to take care of their families.
We have a lot of support for the bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee — thanks to your incredible work during the election. But you can be sure that opponents of equality will flood the Capitol before Wednesday’s vote…
Passage of civil unions was assured, of course, after the extraordinary actions of the GOP House majority last year to kill the bill became a central 2012 campaign issue, and Democrats retook control of the House in the November general elections by a strong majority.
Fait accompli or no, it’s a popular question today at the Capitol whether “Anus Granny” will make another appearance Wednesday.
Moments ago, State Senators Pat Steadman and Lucia Guzman introduced the Colorado Civil Union Act. If passed, the legislation will provide same-sex couples with critical protections to take care of each other.
(Just in time for the HD-19 primary – promoted by Colorado Pols) Journalists, like Denver Post Editorial Page Editor Curtis Hubbard, speculated that House Majority Leader Amy Stephens’ primary fight against Rep. Marsha Looper might play a role in the fate of the civil unions bill. Stephens would want to show voters in her El […]
UPDATE 8:10PM:The special session civil unions legislation, HB12S-1006, dies in the House State Affairs Committee on a party-line 5-4 vote. —– UPDATE #5: LGBT philanthropist and major Democratic funder Tim Gill is personally attending today’s hearing on civil unions legislation, reports Nic Garcia of Out Front Colorado. —– UPDATE #4: With all eyes fixed on […]
After telling KOA’s Mike Rosen that he should have been farming today, rather than “sitting at [his] desk at the state Capitol,” Sen. Greg Brophy announced that the much-watched civil unions bill will soon die in the hands of his fellow Republican legislators. Brophy said he’s heard that the bill will start in the Colorado […]
UPDATE #4: Speaker Frank McNulty responds not too happily, via Out Front Colorado: “If the governor wants to make this special session about gay marriage, than that’s his prerogative,” McNulty said. “It is ironic to me that the governor would choose to use his bully pulpit for the purpose of gay marriage but stand on […]
UPDATE 11:10PM: House galleries erupt in anger, are reportedly cleared as Speaker Frank McNulty pronounces the death of Senate Bill 2 along with dozens of other bills. —– UPDATE 11:00PM: As of this writing, the House is in recess after an hours-long standoff between GOP House leadership and proponents of civil unions legislation. If the […]
UPDATE #2: House Speaker Frank McNulty floats trial blame-game balloons in an interview with LGBT publication Out Front Colorado today: “Frankly, the supporters of Senate Bill 2 should be the ones most angry about the Senate Democrats for playing politics with their lives,” [McNulty] said during an interview with Out Front Colorado… “I certainly understand […]
UPDATE #2: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols: Friday was a roller-coaster that began with anxiety that Republicans were stalling and ended with evidence that they’re not, as the bill, after some legislative maneuvering, arrived in and promptly passed out of its second GOP-controlled committee in 24 hours. On the yes vote of Rep. Don Beezley, R-Broomfield, […]
As Eli Stokles reports this morning, House Republican leadership is doing their very best to use procedural methods to kill Senate Bill 2, the Colorado Civil Unions Bill. After last night’s hearing, Gardner signed committee reports on every bill considered by his committee except the civil unions measure, an indication that House Republicans may be […]
Rep BJ Nikkel (R – Loveland) provided the necessary final vote to refer SB2 to the Finance Committee moving Senate Bill passed the hurdle where it died last year, and possibly the last major hurdle it had. After just over an hour of testimony from each side (limited due to the extensive debate on marijuana […]
(One small vote for Nikkel, one slightly larger step toward equality. – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl) At 9:30pm, House Republican Representative BJ Nickkel cast the deciding vote to get SB2 out of the House Judiciary Committee. Earlier today, it was rumored that Rep. Nikkel had changed her mind from a previous “no” vote. Speakers signed in […]
UPDATE 9:35PM: With a politically huge “yes” vote from GOP Rep. B.J. Nikkel, Senate Bill 2 passes House Judiciary and heads for the House Finance Committee. —– UPDATE: Lynn Bartels of the Denver paper reports that Speaker Frank McNulty will not remove Rep. B.J. Nikkel from her post on the House Judiciary Committee ahead of […]
While SB-2, this year’s civil unions bill, handily passed the State Senate last week, its future in the House is markedly less certain. This Saturday’s town hall on the issue, then, could as much be a discussion on why the legislation didn’t pass as why it did.
From the Colorado House Democrats:
Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Max Tyler, Rep. Andy Kerr, Sen. Betty Boyd, & Sen. Cheri Jahn
WHAT: Join the Lakewood legislative delegation for a town hall meeting this Saturday to discuss Civil Unions in Colorado. The Civil Unions bill was recently passed in the Senate and will be debated in the House in the week ahead.
WHO: Rep. Max Tyler (D-Lakewood)
Rep. Andy Kerr (D-Lakewood)
Sen. Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood)
Sen. Cheri Jahn (D-Wheat Ridge)WHERE: Lakewood Cultural Center (map)
470 S. Allison Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80226WHEN: Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Notably absent from Saturday’s roster is State Representative Ken “Homosexuality is a behavior” Summers — he’ll undoubtedly vote to kill SB-2 if it makes it to the House floor. Still, you have to wonder: if the point of these town halls is to educate voters, doesn’t it make sense to invite every area politician, no matter their stance on any particular issue? Summers has participated in town-halls with Democrats before, so it’s unusual that he’s not coming to this one.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that SB-2 will even be “debated in the House” at all, so this whole town hall, with or without Ken Summers, might just be an exercise in futility.
As the Grand Junction Sentinel’s Charles Ashby reports: Allowing gays and lesbians to enter into civil unions is against God’s law, and lawmakers should reject it, some GOP senators said Thursday. “My prayer as I stand here is for my words of truth to be spoken gracefully and heard with love,” Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, […]
UPDATE: According to Lynn Bartels of the Denver paper, one of GOP Sen. Shawn Mitchell’s amendments, on adoption agencies’ freedom to decline for personal or religious reasons, did indeed pass the Senate today. This would seem to correct the report below that all of his amendments were defeated. But it wasn’t enough, disappointing to proponents […]
Colorado State Senator Pat Steadman has been leading the fight in the Colorado State Capitol on two separate issues: crafting together a state budget and civil unions rights for LGBT couples.
While the budget may have taken center stage for the past few weeks, the civil unions bill is set to hit the Senate floor this week.
From Outfront Colorado:
DENVER – The Colorado state Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved SB-2, a bill to recognize same-sex civil unions. It passed 5-4 on a party-line vote with all Democrats voting yes and all Republicans voting no. The bill will be debated and voted on in the full Senate next week.
According to Public Policy Polling, 62 percent of Colorado voters support the bill, while 53% of Colorado voters say same-sex marriage should be legal. Only 22 percent said that there should be no legal recognition whatsoever of gay couples.
In addition, “the divide on the issue of civil unions is generational, with voters under 30 supporting gay marriage by a 77-23 margin.”
Public Policy Polling concludes that this “should be a real warning sign to the GOP that continuing to tack right on this issue is going to significantly hurt its ability to appeal both to the next generation of voters and to swing voters who are somewhere between moderate and liberal on social issues.”
The bill should sail through the Senate, given the Democratic majority and willingness of some GOP legislators to respond to public opinion on the issue.
Its future in the House, however, is much less certain. Even if the bill is once again defeated by the House GOP, it’s safe to say that Pat Steadman will run the same legislation session after session until it’s signed into law.
Sometimes persistence is the best antidote to hardheadedness.
UPDATE: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols: The sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, and House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, who co-sponsored last year’s bill, have been working to find a Republican to sponsor the bill in the House. Thus far, they’ve been unable to find a Republican to carry the bill, as Rep. […]
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