COLORADO: Civil Unions Bill Introduced

Openly gay Colorado state Sen. Pat Steadman introduced his civil unions bill today. One Colorado reports via press release:

The Colorado Civil Unions Act provides committed gay and lesbian couples with critical legal protections and responsibilities, such as the ability to insure a partner, to inherit property, to take family leave to care for a partner, to visit a partner in the hospital, and to make medical and end-of-life decisions for a partner. “Civil unions will allow committed couples to share in the responsibilities and protections in Colorado law that most families take for granted. Our society is stronger when we promote personal responsibility and taking care of one another, and civil unions do just that,” said Senator Pat Steadman, sponsor of the bill. A key provision of the civil unions bill includes a religious exclusion. The bill explicitly protects freedom of religion by not requiring priests, ministers, rabbis, or other religious officials to certify a civil union. Religious leaders who want to certify a civil union may do so.

According to a just-released poll, 72% of Colorado voters support legal recognitions for gay couples. Steadman's bill is expected to pass easily in the Democratic majority state Senate, but the GOP-led state House will be another story.