‘All hands on deck’ as civil unions bill could advance on short notice

Colorado’s statewide LGBT advocacy organization is telling supporters to be ready for a final push for a bill that would create civil unions here.

One Colorado told its base during an April 12 online town hall meeting to have “all hands on deck,” as the state’s General Assembly prepares to wrap up unfinished business – including Sen. Pat Steadman’s civil union bill – during its current session.

The bill has been parked in Steadman’s Appropriations Committee ever since it was approved by both the Senate Judiciary and Finance committee in February.

At deadline the legislation had not been scheduled for its final hearing, but according to multiple sources it is expected to be heard during the week of April 16. After clearing that committee, the bill will be heard and voted on twice in the full Senate most likely the week of April 23, Out Front Colorado has learned.

The bill is expected to clear the Senate with bipartisan support as it did last year.

The hold up once again comes in the state’s House of Representatives. The House is controlled by Republicans. And while polling data illustrates widespread support across the state, House leadership has yet to publicly endorse the bill. In fact, quite the contrary.

Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, a Republican from Highlands Ranch, has said in the same breath: the bill will get a fair hearing, but he’s personally against the bill.

Capitol insiders and proponents of the bill have feared all along the bill will once again be killed because it is an election year and House leadership including McNulty and Majority Leader Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, are eager to prove their conservative moxy.
“It’s going to be an uphill battle,” said One Colorado’s deputy director Jess Woodrum.

Further, the bill is still shy of a co-sponsor in the House. Steadman and House Minority Leader Rep. Mark Ferrandino have been actively shopping the bill to Republicans hoping if one of their own carry the bill it will have a better chance of passing.

If no sponsor is found, Ferrandino will carry the bill.

Both Steadman and Ferrandino are openly gay Denver Democrats.

“Once the bill goes to the House, timing is mostly out of our control,” Woodrum said.

The bill was immediately scheduled for a committee hearing once it reached the House last year. And it will most likely be true this year with time quickly eroding for the legislature.

An estimate by Out Front Colorado suggests the hearing – if assigned to the judiciary committee – would be April 26. If not then, the hearing would all but have to be the week of April 30.

One Colorado said there will most likely be a rally before the hearing, similar to last year.

The General Assembly must end its 2012 session by May 9.