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SB 2 – Civil Unions

By on January 21, 2012 in Home, Legislative Update

I’m very passionate about a lot of issues, but no bill that I’ve carried has sparked the amount of passion as Civil Unions.  It was heartbreaking to watch the House Judiciary Committee kill this bill in 2011, and immediately afterwards I vowed to bring back the legislation each year until it is finally passed.  I’m cautiously hopeful that 2012 will be the year.

SB 2 was introduced on the first day of the legislative session.  It differs only slightly from the bill I introduced last year, mostly small improvements to the drafting and a correction where one word had been omitted.  It has been referred once again to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which last year approved the bill on a vote of 6 to 3.  The Senate then passed the bill on a vote of 23 to 12.

As authorized by SB 2, Civil Unions would allow any 2 unmarried adults, regardless of gender, to form a legally-recognized, committed relationship subject to most of the provisions in state law that apply to married couples.  The bill recites our current constitutional ban on marriages between persons of the same sex and clearly states that Civil Unions are not marriages.  I readily admit that they are not equal to marriage and confer fewer rights on the couples that choose them.

A legally-recognized relationship matters.  It matters a great deal.  Legal recognition means that Colorado laws will apply, which is especially important at various times in everyone’s life, such as medical emergencies, the birth of a child, the end of a relationship, end-of-life decisions, and death.  Whether an ambulance is on its way to the emergency room, decisions are being made about placement in an Alzheimer’s unit at a nursing home, or plans for burial or cremation are being carried out, a legally-recognized relationship ensures that the person who cares most, who you most want to be there and make decisions, will be first in line to exercise powers controlled by state law.

SB 2 is quite detailed and carefully crafted to spell out all the provisions in state law that will apply to couples in a Civil Union.  I like to point out that SB 2 makes very little new law – it creates forms and procedures for forming a Civil Union – but instead makes applicable the provisions of existing law to a class of persons previously excluded from their protections and benefits.

SB 2 is about inclusion and opportunity.  It empowers personal responsibility.  It creates a bond of commitment between two people that only legal proceedings under the provisions of Colorado law may set aside.  It gives access to important legal protections and basic legal rights that are often taken for granted by those that have them and desperately needed by those without them.  It will strengthen families and protect children across Colorado.

Last year Rep. Mark Ferrandino was the House sponsor of the Civil Unions bill.  This year I’ve introduced the bill without listing a House sponsor in the hopes of finding a Republican member of the House to step up and take the lead.  So far those I’ve asked have declined, but I’m holding out hope.  A new group of Republican leaders has formed to support this type of legislation (Coloradans for Freedom), and I’m hopeful that a brave and willing Republican sponsor can yet be found.  If not, Rep. Ferrandino stands ready to carry the bill again.  If it makes it to the floor of the House of Representatives we know that more than a handful of Republicans will join their Democratic colleagues to pass the bill, but it could once again be bottled-up in committee and die a cruel death.  This will be one of the most closely watched bills of the session, so stay tuned.

To get more involved in the effort to pass Civil Unions in Colorado visit www.One-Colorado.org

 

HB 1076 – initiative petitions

By on January 21, 2012 in Legislative Update

Ever wondered what happened to that petition you signed in front of the grocery store?  Ever had a nagging feeling that the really awful constitutional amendment everyone is opposing might have been one you signed at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival to get the guy with the petition to leave you alone?  Chances are, you’re not alone.

Colorado has a proud tradition of ballot initiatives and direct democracy.  We petition all kinds of things onto the ballot, and as I’m fond of saying, we seem to amend our state constitution every two years whether we need to or not.  People with petitions on clipboards are a sure sign that election season is just around the corner.

I think Colorado has a love-hate relationship with the ballot initiative process.  We love having the power to make laws in the secrecy of the voting booth, but we often hate all the campaigns and controversy the various ballot initiatives generate each election cycle.

Rep. Lois Court is sponsoring a bill this year to add an option to the petition process, and she’s asked me to carry the bill in the Senate.  HB 1076 would allow initiative proponents to include an extra line on their petition for people to voluntarily give their phone number or email address.  These items would not be required to make the signature count as valid, and voters could omit this information.  In fact, the petition would clearly indicate these fields are optional.

It will cost a little more to print petitions with an extra line for this information.  Not everyone will want the guy with the clipboard to have their phone number or email address.  But if you’re signing a petition for something you really care about, giving a little extra contact information might mean you’ll hear about the progress of campaign and whether your issue has qualified for the ballot.

Email and robocalls are inexpensive ways for campaigns to communicate with voters.  Collecting this information would allow the proponents of a petition to easily stay in touch with their supporters, perhaps to ask for volunteers or contributions, or at the very least to let them know their issue will appear on the ballot.

Initiative campaigns today often originate from interest groups with the financial resources to buy a spot on the ballot.  Paid petitioners collect signatures for a price, and paid advertisements convince voters to support a change to our laws.  The more money you have, the more likely you can get your initiative passed.  HB 1076 won’t change that, but it might allow truly grassroots campaigns a better chance to play in this arena.  By making room for email addresses, petitions can become much more of an organizing tool and allow inexpensive communications with those supporting the initiative.

Does this level the playing field?  Perhaps not, but it can’t hurt.  I think this is a bill we should pass this year.

 

Senate Democratic Caucus

By on January 11, 2012 in Legislative Update
Senate Democratic Caucus, 68th General Assembly

The 2012 Legislative Session officially began this morning.  After the opening day procedural motions and speeches the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus posed for a group photo on the grand staircase in the rotunda of the State Capitol.  From front left to right: (front row) Betty Boyd, Joyce Foster, Suzanne Williams, Gail Schwartz, Linda Newell, (second row) Evie Hudak, Bob Bacon, Mary Hodge, Morgan Carroll, (third row) Pat Steadman, Irene Aguilar, Lucia Guzman, Lois Tochtrop, (fourth row) Cheri Jahn, Jeanne Nicholson, Rollie Heath, Angela Giron, (back row) Michael Johnston, Brandon Shaffer, John Morse.

 

2012 Legislative Session Preview

By on January 8, 2012 in Home, Legislative Update

Once again, the most daunting task before the Colorado General Assembly in this legislative session with be addressing budgetary shortfalls and complying with the constitutional mandate to balance the state budget.  Recent estimates of available revenue are trending upwards, relieving some of the pressure on a stressed budget.  Still, a gap of over $400 million exists between available revenue and required spending, forcing tough decisions.  As a member of the Joint Budget Committee I will be at the forefront of budget negotiations, working to preserve essential state services, protect the safety net for the most vulnerable, and balance competing priorities.

The Senate Democratic Caucus will be focused on job creation and economic recovery.  Getting Colorado back to work and getting our economy back on track will be a top priority for 2012.  Look for a package of economic development and job creation bills to be introduced in the Senate early in the session.

Civil Unions will again be one of my main bills for 2012.  Public opinion polls show increasing majorities of Coloradans support this common sense solution to strengthen families and provide access to important legal protections.  The momentum behind this legislation continues to build, and new coalitions will be stepping up to advocate for passage of Civil Unions in Colorado.  I have vowed to introduce this legislation every year until it is passed, and 2012 could very well be the year!  To get involved with the effort to pass Civil Unions, contact One Colorado.

School finance will take on increased prominence in policy and budget debates due to a recent ruling from the Denver District Court declaring unconstitutional the current school finance formula.  Holding the inadequate levels of funding provided by the act to violate students’ constitutional right to a “thorough and uniform” public education, the Court has directed the General Assembly to remedy deficiencies the Court found “unconscionable.”  That directive has been stayed pending appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court, but the District Court’s forceful ruling will inform much of the debate this year on school finance and education reforms.  To learn more about the Lobato case, click here.

2012 is an election year and election-year politics are likely to return to the Capitol, heightened by the newly reapportioned boundaries of legislative districts.  The new maps mean some incumbent legislators are finding themselves in a primary election contests or are squaring off for an open seat in the Senate.  Recent controversies surrounding election law are also hot topics for legislation, with Secretary of State Gessler pushing certain issues into the legislative arena.

To track the bills and calendars for the 2012, visist the Colorado General Assembly website at www.leg.state.co.us

 

 

 

Legislative Update

By on January 3, 2012 in Legislative Update

The 2012 Session will start January 11th. Stay tuned to this location for updates on bills I will be carrying.

Click Here for the official Colorado General Assembly website.  You can find calendars of upcoming hearings and debates, copies of all proposed bills and fiscal notes, bill status histories, access to the Colorado Constitution and Colorado Revised Statutes, and lots more!

The Colorado Channel website is where you can watch live video of the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives and find archived video from all proceedings on the floor of each chamber during the 2010 legislative session. Just click the icon above to watch me.