Colorado civil unions hearing comes as national debate shifts on gay marriage

Proponents of a 2010 Colorado ballot initiative that would establish civil unions for same-sex couples met with state attorneys on Tuesday for a required “review and comments” session, a typically staid affair that normally draws only those required to attend.

But this was no usual session. Although the initiative was proposed last month, Tuesday’s review comes during a week when gay marriage has been at the center of national news and when developments across the country are dramatically shifting the terrain of the debate.