Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Colorado governor signs partner bill
04.10.2009 3:24pm EDT
(Denver, Colorado) Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has signed a domestic partner bill making it easier for unmarried couples to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners and leave property to their partners.
The measure would apply to same- and opposite-sex unmarried couples.The Designated Beneficiary Agreement Act was passed last month in the state House of Representatives and the Senate. The new law, which will take effect on July 1, will permit any two people – regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity – to enter into designated beneficiary agreements that confer specific legal rights and responsibilities, including the right to receive state employee pension benefits, the right to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, and the right to inherit if a partner dies without a will.
“Today is a good day for Colorado and all Coloradans,” said Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D), author of the bill. “This new law provides tools that allow individuals to designate the person they wish to make medical and end of life decisions and who will receive inheritance in the absence of a will, among other things. This is a good step towards providing equal treatment under the law for all of Colorado’s families.”
Republicans, however, denounced the bill.
Sen. Kevin Lundberg (R) dismissed the measure as “marriage light.”
In 2006, voters passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The same year, they rejected another ballot issue that would have given same-sex couples many of the rights of marriage, including property inheritance rights and the power to make medical and funeral arrangements.
During debate on the bill, Sen. Scott Renfroe (R) quoted from the Bible and called homosexuality an “offense to God.”
“When we create laws that go against biblically what we are supposed to stand for, we are allowing to go forward a sin,” Renfroe said on the Senate floor.
“We are taking sins and making them to be legally OK. That is wrong. I’m not saying this is the only sin out there. We have murder. … We don’t make laws making murder legal.”
The remarks brought a swift response from Sen. Jennifer Veiga (D) Colorado’s first openly gay lawmaker and the Senate sponsor of the bill.
“I will stand here today and tell you that God also created me, and the last time I checked, I am who I am,” she said.
What is wrong with states that ban gay marriages? Why are these people so homophobic. These people are really backward.
The attitude of Republicans is an offence to God. They are more like the people that had Jesus arrested than the ones that followed him.
Tom in Long Beach
Sen. Scott Renfroe is wrong…we make laws permitting sin all the time! Take the Death Penalty for example (legalized murder in the name of the law), or Divorce! And while we are at it…how about eating shelfish, sleeping with a woman with a “flow”, wearing cotton and polyester, serving animals in their own sauce (eggs benadict, cheeseburgers)…
This is great news coming from the “focus on the family” and Ted Haggard’s State.
Tom in Long Beach
Look out James Dobson.
The ignorance is deafening and painful to say the least – comparing homosexuality to murder? What next?
masturbation is also a sin. I am sure Sen Renfroe’s right hand could tell stories if it could talk.
This is a good first step. Hopefully, a few years from now marriage equality will be attainable in Colorado.
Too little too late. I live in Colorado. And this, from a Democrat Governor, is a poor excuse of a law. Will it help some? It could. Will it bring equality? Not in the very least.
Colorado can do better. MUST do better.
My partner and I left Colorado because of their hateful constitutional amendment 2 way back when. We’re in Vermont now – getting married in early September!
I believe that Sen. Veiga made a tactical error that so many of us do when confronted with idiotic statements like those made by Sen. Renfroe. Instead of pursuing or countering his bible-thumping logic, she should have reminded the gentleman that there is a [theoretical] separation of church and state in the United States. His personal religious views, while constitutionally protected, are to have no bearing on his actions as a representative in a civil lawmaking body.
If he cannot make an argument as to the benefit or detriment of the legislation based on its affect on civil society, then he is better off to yield the floor to someone willing to speak about the topic at hand.
As an aside, I was listening to an interview on my local classical radio station. The gentleman being interviewed was relating a story about his marriage in Holland. He casually noted that, in Holland, there is separation of church and state, so that all marriages must be conducted at the city clerk’s office. Then, if one wishes to have a church wedding, one may do so at a later time.
It struck me that, even though we have a constitutional separation of church and state, there is no separation in practice.
I think we need to make that separation a reality. We need not be antagonistic to religion. But, when someone wants to argue about a religious basis to any law, just ask the simple question: what has that got to do with the law? Believe what you will, but don’t try to legislate your beliefs all over me.
Thank you Gov. I knew there was a reason we voted you in so strongly. Thanks for standing up for all Coloradans.
I said it before and I’ll say it til the day I die…
Organized Relgion(s) are the bases for so much Hate, Oppression, Ignorance and dispair in this world!!!!
You must not be able to read and comprehend if you don’t see the common thread in all the arguments given as to why we shouldn’t have Marriage Equality!
“When we create laws that go against biblically what we are supposed to stand for, we are allowing to go forward a sin,” Renfroe said on the Senate floor.
“We are taking sins and making them to be legally OK. That is wrong. I’m not saying this is the only sin out there. We have murder. … We don’t make laws making murder legal.”
TAX THE CHURCH(ES)
Furthermore, let’s Get back to square one and Civics 101, SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!
Everytime I read this just reassures me why I am an “Independant” BUT why I will always vote for the candidate that is what they like to call “Liberal”! We may not get our EQUAL rights immediately with the “Liberals” But for sure we won’t get them with Idiot Bigots like Senators Lundberg (R) and Renfroe (R) and many other Republicans, Neo Nazi Cons!
I’m also curious what in the hell the “Log Cabin Republicans” are doing? Guess they are the “Elite” so getting “Married” to share Health Insurance plans, etc. wouldn’t mean much to them? hmmm. Biatches!
“When we create laws that go against biblically what we are supposed to stand for, we are allowing to go forward a sin,” Renfroe said on the Senate floor.
That’s not the first time Renfroe invoked the Bible. He has no idea he represents a secular state in a secular nation. And, I notice Renfroe has nothing to say about eating shellfish, touching footballs, or wearing mixed fabric clothing.
Typical of ignorant Christians.
Did they honestly just equate civil rights for same and opposite-sex individuals to legalizing murder?