The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

As Tuesday ended, so did the hopes of the passage of a Colorado bill granting same-sex couples the right to form Civil Unions. The legislative session ends today, but debate on the floor was needed yesterday in order for a vote to happen today.

Having passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with bi-partisan support last Thursday, there were hopes that the bill would make it to the floor before the end of the session, but House Republicans stepped in to stall the vote long enough for the session to expire.

In usual fashion, the Republicans blamed the Democrats for delaying the measure rather than admit to their obvious filibuster. House assistant majority leader Republican Mark Waller of Colorado Springs said:

Let's be clear: The Democrats in the state House are playing procedural games to have one heard over every other bill. We need to carefully consider what's before us right now. Careful consideration means taking time.

Those other bills included a debate on banning trans-fat in public schools, a water projects bill, and a bill that would define legal limits for driving stoned. All of these fell as casualties to the republican's attempts to block a step towards equal rights for Colorado's same-sex couples.

With the passage of North Carolina's Amendment One yesterday, the movement has taken two big hits. But with the news that President Obama has finally evolved on the issue of marriage, we can have something to celebrate today. If only he had decided a little earlier, maybe we would be celebrating two victories today. Do you think it would have made a difference in NC and CO?

Colorado Flag via Bigstock