UPDATED: State senator: HIV babies are punishment for promiscuous moms
State Sen. Dave Schultheis restated his opposition to a bill over requiring HIV tests for pregnant women by claiming that infected babies would cause families to "see the negative consequences of that promiscuity."
UPDATE: The Rocky re-arranged its original story posted at 1:05 p.m. and buried Sen. Schultheis' controversial quote in a linked side bar.
Religious group flays Renfroe over remarks on gays, murder as ‘hate speech’
A spokesman for the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado on Wednesday condemned remarks made Monday by state Sen. Scott Renfroe when he called homosexuality an "abomination" and an "offense to God" in a debate over a bill to extend health benefits to same-sex partners of state employees.
"As a Christian, I am profoundly saddened by the hate speech uttered by Sen. Renfroe in the name of God,” the Rev. Richard Craft, interim pastor at Family of Christ Presbyterian Church of Greeley, said in a statement.
Schultheis: HIV testing for pregnant moms rewards ‘sexual promiscuity’
Democrats were outraged Wednesday morning when Republican state Sen. Dave Schultheis said he planned to vote against a bill to require HIV tests for pregnant women because the disease "stems from sexual promiscuity" and he didn't think the Legislature should "remove the negative consequences that take place from poor behavior and unacceptable behavior." The Colorado Springs lawmaker then proceeded to cast the lone vote against SB-179, which passed 32-1 and moves on to the House.
UPDATE: Schultheis restates his opposition to the bill by claiming HIV babies are punishment for promiscuous moms.
Conservative blogger calls on Renfroe to resign over ‘bigoted’ remarks; Colorado GOP mum
Conservative blogger and columnist Ari Armstrong says state Sen. Scott Renfroe should resign and calls on the state GOP to "publicly condemn" the Greeley Republican for his remarks comparing homosexuality to murder during a debate over a bill to extend health benefits to same-sex partners of state employees.
"It's the right thing to do," Armstrong writes in his FreeColorado.com blog, "and it's also the prudent political move, if the GOP wishes to be taken seriously as a political force in Colorado."
Gay rights group slams Renfroe for comparing homosexuality to murder
A prominent national gay rights organization on Tuesday blasted Colorado state Sen. Scott Renfroe for comparing homosexuality to murder when he spoke Monday against a bill that would extend health benefits to same-sex domestic partners of state employees.
GOP, Christian legal group misleads on N.M. domestic partner poll
A poll commissioned by the New Mexico Republican Party with an ideological assist from the Christian legal team at the Alliance Defense Fund is fueling voter confusion over a domestic partnership bill before the state legislature in Santa Fe.
LIVEBLOG: Aurora adds benefits for same-sex employees
The Aurora City Council voted Monday night to offer insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees after agreeing to add coverage for opposite-sex domestic partners to the proposal. The benefits expansion -- at an estimated cost to the city of $100,000 annually -- passed on a 7-3 vote with opponents voicing concern about the cost to the city, which is facing multi-million dollar shortfalls this year and next.
Same-sex benefits poised for Aurora decision after initial state Senate OK
After numerous delays, the Aurora City Council will debate, on Monday, whether to offer insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees. This comes just after the Colorado State Senate gave initial approval to a bill that would do the same for state employees. The Colorado Independent will be live-blogging the Aurora decision starting at 7:30 p.m.
Suthers agrees with Amendment 54 proponents: ‘Does not infringe rights’
Today the state attorney general's office confirmed a report published this morning in The Colorado Independent that Attorney General John Suthers met with proponents of Amendment 54 -- the "clean government" constitutional amendment passed as a ballot initiative last November -- and that he agrees with them that the initiative does not unduly infringe upon expression.
Amendment 54 lawsuit goes forward
In the months since voters passed Colorado's controversial Amendment 54 in November, and from the moment it passed into law on the last day of December, its expanding implications have slowly come into focus, spurring heated arguments for and against it.
As a high-powered lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the amendment wends its way to court, detractors and supporters are pleading their cases in the court of public opinion, underlining the fact that the showdown over 54 is just the latest skirmish in a larger battle over the evolution in lawmaking away from legislatures and toward ballot initiatives.