From Brad Clark, executive director of One Colorado:
Moments ago – the Colorado Civil Union Act passed a huge hurdle! One courageous Republican, Representative B.J. Nikkel of Loveland, voted with all five Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee to move SB-2 forward with bipartisan support.
They said it couldn't be done. They said it was impossible to win ONE Republican vote. They said we should give up and come back again in another year.
But we proved them wrong. Our stories, our families, and our community won over Representative B.J. Nikkel. And her vote underscores an incredible evolution in the Republican Party. She has courageously shown us all that support for civil unions is consistent with conservative values, that believing in equality is not red or blue.
Today, we have much to celebrate. Join us in thanking Representative Nikkel for her incredible support.
To be sure, your support made this victory possible. We were facing an overwhelming challenge, and it was your e-mails, phone calls, and visits to the Capitol -- more than 28,000 of them -- that won us the ONE vote we needed.
But while today's victory is exciting, our work isn't done yet. Civil unions will now move to the Senate Finance and Senate Appropriations Committees before it makes it to the floor.
Click here to get in touch with your Representative and ask for a YES vote now!
We've never been so close to passing civil unions in Colorado. We've earned the support of Governor Hickenlooper, of the public who overwhelmingly favors passage of this legislation, and of Republican leaders in the community and in the Capitol. And today, we earned the ONE vote no one thought we'd get.
We're almost there, and we need your help to cross the finish line.
E-mail your legislator today. Click here: www.one-colorado.org/almost-there
This journey isn't over yet. We have a few more obstacles to face. But I'm feeling stronger than ever that we will succeed.
