Colorado’s gay Democratic Sen. Pat Steadman says he’ll introduce a civil unions bill next year in the hopes of making the state the fourth to grant gay and lesbian relationships second-class status. While he expects the Senate, controlled by Democrats, to be an easy mark, the House is controlled by Republicans in a 33-32 divide. Voters passed a constitutional ban barring gay marriage in 2006.
Daez
Civil unions will always be an easier sell than marriage. They are still separate (but hopefully equal). So, they are still second class arrangements, but at least second class arrangements are better than nothing.
It will be interesting to see if such a law will hold up to Colorado’s constitution. I don’t know how that one reads, but I do know that in Ohio, with the law that they used for that amendment, civil unions being passed here would be considered unconstitutional at the state level.
Brett
@Daez:
Illinois’ new Civil Union law is open to both straight and gay people. Some senior citizens are believed to want civil unions because since they aren’t recognized by the federal government their Social Security and Medicare benefits won’t be affected.
Stefan
BTW, the speaker of the House in Colorado is pro-civil unions (and obviously a Republican) who will likely bring it to a vote.
The amendment to the Colorado Constituion bans just gay marriage and nothing else.