Colorado House in Special Session Kills Civil Unions

Jim Burroway

May 14th, 2012

Photo by Daniel Gonzales. Click to enlarge.

When Republican Colorado House Speaker Frank McNulty declared that the special session called by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper was a “reset” on the legislation, he wasn’t kidding. Defying the will of the majority in the House, McNulty sent the civil unions bill to House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, despite the bill having passed through three House committees during the legislature’s regular session. But in sending the bill to the third committee, McNulty carefully selected a destination where the bill was sure to die.

And so die it did. The House committe tonight killed the civil unions bill on a straight party-line vote of 5-4. Rep. Don Coram (R-58) felt compelled to vote against his own gay son to kill the bill. That’s how badly House leadership wanted this bill dead.

Update: Daniel Gonzales, who attended the hearing, sends this account:

Rep. Coram had not previously been public about his gay son until his pre-vote remarks when he went public. Also seated next to him was Rep. Lois Court (D-Aurora) who in her pre-vote remarks had to alternate between restraining herself from crying and swearing.

Reps. Don Coram and Lois Court. Photo by Daniel Gonzales

Update: Daniel Gonzales has also posted this video of Rep. Mark Ferrandino’s formal statement to the media following the death of his civil unions bill in The House State, Veterans, and Military affairs Committee tonight.

Tony

May 14th, 2012

Wow, and nobody sees it as a problem when politics get this disgusting. What the hell is going on with the Republican party? They’re acting more like Eastern European right-wingers more and more every day.

Hyhybt

May 14th, 2012

SOMEBODY is going to have some very interesting family discussions in the near future… or, quite possibly, no speaking at all.

Edwin in Colorado

May 15th, 2012

Well the Republicans screwed us again.
I guess we will have to put a few more
Democrates in so we can get the rights we were born with and not keeping fighting for them.

Timothy Kincaid

May 15th, 2012

I would love to see the Democrats run a statewide campaign aimed at republican and moderate voters with the tag line “can YOU vote for discrimination?”. Most voters can see the parallels and I think it’s time we painted them in bold colors.

I’d also love to see primary challengers run on a “My definition of ‘all men’ doesn’t exclude gays” slate.

I really think that if offered some leadership, republican voters would change.

Ryan

May 15th, 2012

This is part of the unintended consequences of Obama’s announcement. He is *hated* by Republicans to the degree that many who supported marriage equality before probably don’t now.

Ben in Oakland

May 15th, 2012

Ryan, it’s hard for me to imagine that omeow would hate aa o much he’d vote against his own son. I suspect there is more going o here.

Of course, it will never make he man sorry he’s gay. It will just make him sorry that Corem is his father.

Timothy Kincaid

May 15th, 2012

Ryan,

I sometimes marvel at the things you say about Republicans. Have you ever met one?

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