[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/special-session-could-save-colorado-civil-union-law\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/special-session-could-save-colorado-civil-union-law\/","headline":"Special Session Could Save Colorado Civil Union Law","name":"Special Session Could Save Colorado Civil Union Law","description":"By Jason Carson Wilson A special legislative session could resurrect Colorado\u2019s proposed civil union law.\u00a0 Alleged Republican feet-dragging doomed the legislation Tuesday. Democratic Colorado Gov....","datePublished":"2012-05-10","dateModified":"2021-07-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/colorado-governor-john-hickenlooper-civil-union-law.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/colorado-governor-john-hickenlooper-civil-union-law.jpg","height":450,"width":300},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/special-session-could-save-colorado-civil-union-law\/","about":["Marriage Equality News"],"wordCount":340,"articleBody":" By Jason Carson WilsonA special legislative session could resurrect Colorado\u2019s proposed civil union law.\u00a0 Alleged Republican feet-dragging doomed the legislation Tuesday.Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper supported the concept enough to call for the special session Wednesday. Hickenlooper stressed the \u201coverwhelming need\u201d to consider civil unions, the Washington Post reported.Gay rights supporters said the proposal has enough support to survive the state House. That support, the New York Times reported, included several Republicans. It had already gotten through the state Senate.The bill died as lawmakers argued about whether the legislation would be debated on the House floor before Republican Speaker Frank McNulty acknowledged there was an impasse and abruptly called for a recess.Republicans accused Democrats of forcing a showdown by waiting until the last minute. The tension led to one memorable exchange between Colorado state Rep. Mark Waller, a Republican, and bill co-sponsor, state Rep. Mark Ferradino, a Democrat. Ferradino is also one of four openly gay lawmakers.\u201cI\u2019ll tell you why this bill moved at a different pace. [It\u2019s] Because the Democrats were playing politics with it,\u201d Waller said.\u201cWe\u2019re willing to work with you to figure out a way to make sure that every bill, tonight, gets an up-or-down vote on it,\u201d Ferradino responded.The state\u2019s Democrats want a bill that grants same-sex couples similar rights and protections straight couples enjoy. Hickenlooper hinted that he agrees with them. Had the legislation passed Tuesday, he planned to sign it. Personal experiences, in part, prompt Hickenlooper\u2019s commitment to marriage equality.According to Hickenlooper’s staff, the special session could begin as early as Friday, but might begin on Monday.\u201cI spent a long time in the restaurant business,\u201d he said during a news conference, where he announced the planned special legislative session. \u201cA lot of people that helped us create that business didn\u2019t have the same rights as everybody else. I had a call yesterday from one of them just to ask, \u2018If not now, when?\u2019”Photo: colorado.gov\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Special Session Could Save Colorado Civil Union Law","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/special-session-could-save-colorado-civil-union-law\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]