Colorado civil union bill a hop, skip and jump away from becoming law —if the clock doesn’t run out first

State Rep. Mark Ferrandino is prepared to make a motion to hear the Colorado Civil Union Act by the full Colorado House Tuesday if Republican leadership fails to schedule a debate on the bill.

The minority leader — and sponsor of the bill — would need all Democrats and at least one Republican to force the debate under House rules, he said.

But before the Gay Denver Democrat needs to consider crossing that bridge, the bill must first be heard by the House Appropriations Committee — and speculation is running amok at the Capitol on whether that will happen.

Rep. Jon Becker, R-Fort Morgan, chairman of the House Appropriations committee, told reporters at noon he had not yet received the bill and it would be premature to make a decision on whether the bill would be have a hearing Tuesday. He said he’d most likely make an announcement later Monday afternoon.

Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, chairman of the House Finance committee, the last panel to have a hearing for the bill, said he’d send the bill to Becker later in the afternoon.

“He can schedule a reading for the bill (up until the hearing begins),” DelGrosso said.

A hearing by the state House Appropriations Committee was removed from the General Assembly calendar this morning leaving the smallest window of opportunity for the Colorado Civil Union Act to become law.

Ferrandino had hoped his bill extending legal relationship recognition to same-sex couples would have its final hearing Monday afternoon, and be scheduled for a debate by the full House of Representatives before Tuesday evening.

The bill must have its first debate by the full House by Tuesday or else the bill dies on calendar – without a vote – when the legislature adjourns for the year on Wednesday.

Ferrandino told Out Front Colorado he’s pushing for his bill to be heard before the House Appropriations Committee — where it will pass with support from Evergreen Republican Rep. Cheri Gerou — as soon as possible.

He updated his Facebook page saying, “… things change quickly in last three days.”

Ferrandino previously said he expected the bill to be heard Tuesday morning when the committee traditionally meets. However, a meeting of the Republican controlled committee has been scheduled for Monday afternoon after the state House of Representatives finishes its business for the day.

The bill cleared two committees last week with bipartisan support in less than 24 hours.

First, the legislation cleared what was believed to be its highest hurdle May 3 when Rep. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland, joined five Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee voting in favor of the bill.

Nikkel was one of six Republicans on the same committee who voted against a similar bill last year.

She said she changed her vote after studying the issue and listening to more than three hours of testimony from both sides of the issue.

“It was simply the right thing to do,” she said.

Then on May 4, the House Finance Committee approved the bill, 7-6, with all Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Don Beezley of Broomfield, giving it a thumbs up.

Beezley told reporters after the vote he believed the bill was a matter of fairness.

“If the worst thing that happens in our society, is we have more people committed to longterm, meaningful, loving relationships — I think that’s a good thing,” he said.

Beezley also said his constituents overwhelmingly supported the bill.

“I probably heard 10-to-1 in favor,” he said.

As a matter of procedure, the chairman of the Finance Committee, Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, must now send the bill to the next committee.

DelGrosso has voted against the bill — twice. He was a “no” vote on both aforementioned committees.

Now the bill has three days to pass three tests: a final committee hearing, and two readings — or debates — on separate days by the full House of Representatives.

“It has to pass the floor on Tuesday,” Ferrandino said. “My hope is that we don’t see games being played by leadership to stall this. This deserves a full up-or-down vote on second reading and third reading on Wednesday, from the full House. It is evident that we have two Republicans, all the Democrats, in the House of Representatives that will support this.”

Republicans control the House by one vote, 33-32.

DelGrosso had not signed the committee report to send the bill to Appropriations by end of business Friday. He’ll have until Monday afternoon to file the paper work in order for the bill to get a hearing later in the day.

The Appropriations Committee could also hear the bill Tuesday morning before the House convienes in order for it to have its first vote by the full chamber, Ferrandino said.

“We have plenty of time within session to pass this — we just introduced a new bill yesterday.”

The Colorado General Assembly must adjourn by midnight Wednesday.

Supporters of the Colorado Civil Union Act last year claimed it was the House’s Republican leadership — Speaker of the House Frank McNulty of Highlands Ranch and Majority Leader Amy Stephens of Monument — who forced the bill’s death in order to protect their social conservative credos.

McNulty told The Associated Press that the bill will be scheduled under the rules.

Meanwhile, in an interview with CBS4 Stephens chastised Democrats in the Senate — who passed the bill first — for taking almost the entire session to send the bill to her chamber.

“The Senate’s had 100-and-some-days to get this bill over and I think its unfair to say ‘well, just fast track,’ because we think thats what has to happen. This was not an agenda bill, this was not part of our agenda,” she said.

The bill was introduced on the first day of the 2012 session, but held until after the GOP primary ballot was finalized to remove the chance of a primary challenger for any Republican who might sponsor the bill. Regardless, no Republican answered Ferrandino’s invite to sponsor the bill.

“This bill should live on its merits and not be killed by games played by leadership,” Ferrandino said.