The bill to allow same-sex couples to enter civil unions in Colorado died on the House floor last night before it was even given a chance to live.
Republican Speaker Frank McNulty at a press conference following Tuesday night’s session.
After what the Denver Post dubbed a “dramatic game of political chicken,” Republican Speaker Frank McNulty acknowledged there was an impasse and abruptly called for a recess at 9 p.m., which was three hours earlier than the midnight deadline. At least five House Republicans supported the legislation, which had been passed by the House Judiciary Committee last week, thanks to the deciding vote by Republican Rep. B.J. Nikkel, meaning if the bill had been brought to a vote, it likely would have passed.
Coloradans watched from the gallery, chanting “Shame on you! Shame on you!” as the session came to a close.
“I don’t blame the Democrats. I certainly don’t blame any member of our Republican caucus,” said McNulty. “These things happen. But the timing is such we were not able to work that impasse.”
“No matter what happens today or tomorrow, the unspoken truth in this whole debate is we will win,” Jace Woodrum, deputy director for One Colorado, the state’s largest gay-rights group.
“Whether it is today or tomorrow or next year or the next, we will win. Gay and lesbian couples in this state will have full protection under the law. We all know it, and everybody in this building knows it,” he said.
Photo: denverpost.com
