NEWS FLASH

BREAKING: Colorado House Judiciary Committee Advances Civil Unions | After several hours of public testimony but very little debate, the Colorado House Judiciary Committee advanced the Civil Unions Act with a vote of 6-5. The Republican-controlled House is expected to have enough GOP support to pass the legislation, so this committee vote was perhaps its biggest hurdle. The bill will proceed to the House Finance Committee before advancing to the full chamber. Opponents testifying against the measure were led by representatives from the Alliance Defense Fund, whose primary argument was that civil unions are a “gateway” to same-sex marriage. They also argued that Coloradans do not support civil unions, but a recent poll found that 62 percent, in fact, do. The Colorado Senate passed the bill last week and Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) has committed to signing it.