A Colorado civil union bill is on its way to the full Senate floor after the Appropriations Committee approved it this morning in a 4-3 vote.
Brad Clark, Executive Director of One Colorado, a statewide organization advocating for passage of the bill, released this statement:
"Committed gay and lesbian couples in the state have been waiting for years — 10, 20, even 40 years — to have their relationships protected. It's well past time that these families have equal protection under the law. We applaud the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee who voted to affirm that all families are worthy of dignity and respect. We look forward to bipartisan passage on the floor of the Senate. Our community isn't advocating for civil unions in order to achieve some historic victory for Colorado. We're advocating for our families — for the couples that have been together 40 years, for the kids whose parents aren't treated equally in the eyes of the law, for the gay student who finally sees his government recognizing who he is. That's what we're fighting for."
If passed, SB-11 will provide committed gay and lesbian couples with
critical legal protections and responsibilities, such as the ability to
take family leave to care for a partner, to make medical and end-of-life
decisions for a partner, to live together in a nursing home, and to
adopt children together.
