Colorado Civil Union Act killed — again — by GOP House committee

Oops! They did it again.

Despite being given a second chance by Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Republican state House committee killed the Colorado Civil Union Act on a party-line vote, 5-4.

The decision came after about four hours of testimony.

Supporters of the bill had hoped Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose, who is the father of a gay son, would be a swing vote. However, he told a crowd of more than 300 the bill was too similar to same-sex marriage and a “yes” vote would invalidate a 2006 voter approved amendment defining marriage between a man and a woman.

Coram also said he thought the bill was being used for political gain.

“I’m concerned that the gay community is being used as a political pawn,” he said. “(Civil unions) only came up when we had a split house. And I think that’s wrong because these are great people.”

Supporters argued they need rights to protect their families.

“Our relationship is the centerpiece, and backbone of our family,” said Denver gay man Jason Cobb. “Our son is supposed to see parents as committed to each other as they are to him.”

Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, a Democrat, also weighed in on the issue.

“Civil unions is important to our entire community, state and country,” he said. “… I hope this comes to pass on your watch and you don’t defer it to someone else.”

Opponents argued that the bill would redefine marriage in Colorado and that it goes against the will of Coloradans.

“This is not simply a religious issue,” James Flynn of the Denver Archdiocese said. “This is an issue of common sense. It is also a matter of long tradition. Marriage is the fundamental cornerstone of humanity.

“We as state, if we want our kids to do as best they can, we need to make sure they grow up with their own father and mother,” Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family.

Hickenlooper, a Democrat, called for the special session to discuss this bill and six others — giving House Republicans the time they claimed they need to debate the bill.

The bill, sponsored by Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino and Sen. Pat Steadman, would have expand legal relationship recognition for same-sex couples here. Both Ferrandino and Steadman are gay Denver Democrats.

The legislation was re-introduced this morning and assigned to the State Affairs Committee.

Supporters of the bill were fearful heading into the hearing. There was no confirmed “yes” vote.

The bill was originally introduced on the first day of the legislature’s regular session, Jan. 11. About a month later, it cleared two Senate committees.

Steadman then held the bill for two more months while he and Ferrandino courted House Republicans to sponsor the bill. They hoped a GOP sponsor would ensure passage to the full floor of the House.

Republicans enjoy a one-vote advantage in the House, 33-32.

Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, told reporters he assigned the bill to the State Affairs Committee to expedite the process.

Earlier, the GOP leader told reporters the special session was a “reset” and hinted that there would be committee re-assignments – or that the bill could be sent to different committees than the panels that examined them earlier this year.

This potential power play – while well within the rules of the House – goes against numerous statements McNulty has made since the civil union bill was first introduced in January 2011.

“All bills will get a fair hearing and as these issues come up, we’ll take them up one-by-one,” he said in November of last year. “I won’t speculate on the outcome of any bill, because that’s the job of the legislative process.”

Hickenlooper told reporters this afternoon he’d hold off jumping to conclusions.

“I’d like to think we live in a world where we can have a vigorous debate on the merits of a bill, not its politics,” Hickenlooper said.

The bill was on a track to passage earlier this month. After being sent with bipartisan support from the Senate to the House, the legislation cleared two Republican-controlled committees.

First, Rep. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland, voted for the bill on the House Judiciary Committee.

Nikkel voted against the bill last year, but changed her vote at the May 2 committee hearing, saying, “It was the right thing to do.”

The following day, Rep. Don Beelzey, R-Broomfield, gave a thumb-up on the House Finance Committee.

From there, the ticking tock grew louder as the session was quickly drawing to a close. With only three days left, supporters and opponents of the bill grew wary.

Tensions began to rise as the bill’s third and final committee met the afternoon of May 8. The House needed to debate the bill before midnight or else it would die.

Colorado law requires a chamber to hold its debate and final vote on each bill on two separate days. Colorado law also required the legislature to adjourn no later than May 9, leaving all unfinished business dead on calendar to come back another session.

After a three-hour filibuster – House Appropriations Committee Republicans spent hours debating bills that did not stand a chance of passage – GOP members approved three amendments to the civil unions bill, and on a 7-6 vote moved it to the full House with Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, joining Democrats to pass the bill.

What happened next, most Colorado political experts and onlookers consider historic.

First, Majority Leader Amy Stephens attempted to set an evening agenda that did not include the civil union bill. Ferrandino raised his hand in the air with his thumb pointing down – instructing his caucus and Republican supporters of the bill to vote against the to-do list.

Republicans attempted without success to move forward without the civil union act four other times. A deal was eventually reached: The Colorado Civil Union Act would be debated after all the bills on the regular calendar were taken care of.

Republican lawmakers began debates on bills featuring a prohibition of trans fats in public schools and license plates. Debate on non-controversial measures took up almost three hours of the diminishing time.

Finally, Rep. Clare Levy, D-Boulder made a motion to halt debate and re-order the calendar.

Before Levy could finish her motion, Rep. Jerry Sonnneberg, who was proceeding over the debate put the House in recess.

The chamber wouldn’t reconvene for another three hours.

The following afternoon, Hickenlooper announced he’d call for a special session.