Legislative special session starts tomorrow, leaders say civil unions won't pass

Posted: May 13, 2012 11:10 PM by Jacqui Heinrich
Updated: May 14, 2012 3:06 AM

The civil unions debate will no doubt be the hot topic when state lawmakers head back to the capitol for a special session called by Governor Hickenlooper, but legislators are saying it won't happen this time around.

Although many civil unions supporters see the special session as a second chance for the bill to pass, Senate Majority Leader John Morse says that's not the point of this session. Instead, it's about the 30 other bills that died along with Senate Bill 2. "I would recommend that the LGBT community not hold its breath because the Speaker and the House Majority Leader have no intention of passing this bill. They can reconstitute a committee that's filled with Republicans that will vote not just no, but hell no." he told News 5 in an interview today.

Morse says it's a foregone conclusion for civil unions this time around, but expects a different outcome after the November elections when the public will have a chance to put power into new hands. "The majority of our population wants this and when they watch in a very public way their representatives turn their backs on them, they vote those people out of office. We've seen it time after time and I think that's what we're going to see in November."