Colo. Dems Need GOP for Civil Union Support

Democrats in the Colorado house judiciary committee have been pressing Republican members of the committee to send a proposed civil union bill to the floor for a full debate.

Rep. Mark Ferrandino is the sponsor of the bill in the house, accompanying the version in the senate introduced in February by Sen. Pat Steadman (pictured). Ferrandino told The Colorado Independent that the likelihood of the bill passing depends on House Republicans following through on some stated support of the bill. In the senate, three out of 15 Republicans favored the bill. Republicans have a one-seat majority in the house, according to the Independent.

"We're your sons and daughters, your coworkers and your neighbors," Ferrandino said in a house Democratic caucus release. "We're taxpayers, business owners, and members of every community across this state. This is an issue of fairness and justice and deserves to be given a full and fair debate by the entire house."

The legislation would allow same-sex couples to enter into marriage-like civil unions, though it would not violate the anti-gay-marriage constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2006.