Tag: SB 88

Without fanfare or even a mention, Gov. Bill Ritter sometime on Monday "quietly" signed into law Senate Bill 88, which extends health insurance benefits...

The Colorado House gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that extends health insurance benefits to gay and lesbian domestic partners of state employees. The bill has already passed the state Senate and heads to Gov. Bill Ritter for his signature.

A Colorado House committee voted Tuesday afternoon to approve a bill that would extend health insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of state employees. The bill, which has already passed the state Senate, advanced on a party-line vote after testimony from opponents, who said the measure unfairly extends special rights to gay couples and defies the will of state voters, who passed an amendment banning gay marriage in 2006. Supporters called it the right thing to do and said the benefits to the state outweigh anticipated costs.

State Sen. Dave Schultheis restated his opposition to a bill over requiring HIV tests for pregnant women by claiming that infected babies would cause families to "see the negative consequences of that promiscuity." UPDATE: The Rocky re-arranged its original story posted at 1:05 p.m. and buried Sen. Schultheis' controversial quote in a linked side bar.

A spokesman for the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado on Wednesday condemned remarks made Monday by state Sen. Scott Renfroe when he called homosexuality an "abomination" and an "offense to God" in a debate over a bill to extend health benefits to same-sex partners of state employees. "As a Christian, I am profoundly saddened by the hate speech uttered by Sen. Renfroe in the name of God,” the Rev. Richard Craft, interim pastor at Family of Christ Presbyterian Church of Greeley, said in a statement.

Democrats were outraged Wednesday morning when Republican state Sen. Dave Schultheis said he planned to vote against a bill to require HIV tests for pregnant women because the disease "stems from sexual promiscuity" and he didn't think the Legislature should "remove the negative consequences that take place from poor behavior and unacceptable behavior." The Colorado Springs lawmaker then proceeded to cast the lone vote against SB-179, which passed 32-1 and moves on to the House. UPDATE: Schultheis restates his opposition to the bill by claiming HIV babies are punishment for promiscuous moms.

Conservative blogger and columnist Ari Armstrong says state Sen. Scott Renfroe should resign and calls on the state GOP to "publicly condemn" the Greeley Republican for his remarks comparing homosexuality to murder during a debate over a bill to extend health benefits to same-sex partners of state employees. "It's the right thing to do," Armstrong writes in his FreeColorado.com blog, "and it's also the prudent political move, if the GOP wishes to be taken seriously as a political force in Colorado."

A prominent national gay rights organization on Tuesday blasted Colorado state Sen. Scott Renfroe for comparing homosexuality to murder when he spoke Monday against a bill that would extend health benefits to same-sex domestic partners of state employees.

After numerous delays, the Aurora City Council will debate, on Monday, whether to offer insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees. This comes just after the Colorado State Senate gave initial approval to a bill that would do the same for state employees. The Colorado Independent will be live-blogging the Aurora decision starting at 7:30 p.m.

Focus on the Family Action takes to the airwaves this week with a radio ad opposing SB 88 -- a bill that would add health benefits for same-sex domestic partners of state employees -- because it's just too darned expensive during a "global economic crisis," Right Wing Watch reports. "Coloradans can’t afford this social experiment," argues the political arm of the Colorado Springs-based conservative religious group.