Hickenlooper’s office skirts civil union question on eve of gay rights organization fundraiser

Since New York passed its landmark bill establishing same-sex marriage, Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office has continued to deflect questions from Out Front Colorado regarding the fight for civil unions here.

The Democrat, often considered a strong ally for the LGBT community, supported the 2011 Colorado Civil Union Act. However, compared to the Empire State’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s excessive push and strategic planning for marriage equality, the Coloradan’s voice could easily be compared to a whisper.

Supporters of the bill, sponsored by gay Denver Democrats Sen. Pat Steadman and Rep. Mark Ferrandino, have argued Hickenlooper, like Cuomo, worked the phones and backrooms of the Capitol urging House Republicans to support the bill. However, his first public statement came just days before a House committee would hear testimony on the bill. And later, his chief-of-staff Roxane White, would read a letter at a rally hours before the hearing.

To be fair, the first term governor hardly publicly supported any bill during the 2011 General Assembly. He allowed the divided chambers to sort out legislation, a move politicos praised.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee killed the civil union bill March 31 on a party-line vote.
Steadman and Ferrandino have argued House leadership never intended the bill to reach the full floor where it was expected to pass.

The duo has pledged to reintroduce the bill in 2012.

Hickenlooper’s position hasn’t changed, said Eric Brown, the governor’s spokesman. But in the same email to OFC, he failed to directly answer whether the governor would take any cues from Cuomo and make civil unions a legislative priority.

“It’s too early to speculate on what might happen during the next legislative session,” Brown said. “I’m also not going to speculate on what lessons could be learned from New York or what lessons the House majority should take away – you should ask the House majority that question.”

OFC first asked the governor’s communication office for comment on New York after the bill was passed and signed into law June 24.

While several emails were exchanged, a comment was never issued.

OFC again re-engaged after Hickenlooper appeared in a taped interview with One Colorado, a statewide LGBT advocacy organization, promoting the Ally Awards, a fundraiser for the nonprofit.

Hickenlooper is an honorary co-chair of the event.

The video, about five minutes in length, was posted to One Colorado’s YouTube channel July 25.

“We have to begin to come together in a stronger way,” Hickenlooper said referring to civil unions, and more broadly LGBT equality.
He made no direct pledge to assist in the passage of the legislation.

Brown agreed to get answers for the paper’s questions. However, after 48 hours he failed to do so. It wasn’t until after OFC reached out to White’s office that Brown emailed his statement, at 2:40 p.m. July 29.

Sources quoted in The New York Times explicitly conveyed it was Cuomo’s office that made marriage equality for same-sex couples a reality. It was the governor’s associates who coordinated a large coalition of gay-rights groups and connected GOP leaders with high-profile donors to secure funding for re-election campaigns.

And a similar situation could play out in Colorado.

First, New York and Colorado’s government are strikingly similar. In each state, Democrats and Republicans each control one chamber in its legislative body – the GOP controls, by one vote, the House in Colorado and the Senate in New York.

However, supporters – including Hickenlooper – have failed to persuade Republican leadership that allowing the full House to vote on the bill is not a surefire way to lose a primary challenge. Political gossip has run amok: ultra-conservatives, Tea Party members and the religious right are looking for an excuse to vote out House Speaker Frank McNulty and Majority Leader Amy Stephens.

Money could be directed to those Republicans who support the legislation in 2012. LGBT activist and philanthropist Tim Gill has already donated to at least one New York Republican senator who voted for same-sex marriage.

One Colorado could use its political action committee to funnel money – although in limited amounts – and stump for any candidate during the primary and general election.