Denver, CO (KDVR) — An overwhelming majority of Colorado voters support legislation that would recognize same-sex civil unions in the state, according to a poll from Public Policy Polling released Friday.
According to the poll, 62 percent favor civil unions while 32 percent are opposed.
But, with the bill‘s fate once again depending on the Republican lawmakers who control the state House, the poll reveals that roughly two-thirds of Republican voters still oppose civil unions, while nearly all Democrats and most Independents polled support it.
Senate Bill 2, after passing the Senate Judiciary Committee early on in the legislative session, has been stuck in a holding pattern for nearly two months and yet to reach the Senate floor, as its sponsors continue to search for more support among Republicans before sending it to the House.
A group of high-profile Republicans has formed this year to highlight support for the measure among conservatives who believe in limited government principles; but, inside the Capitol, fewer Republicans are stepping up publicly to signal their support.
The sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, and House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, who co-sponsored last year’s bill, have been working to find a Republican to sponsor the bill in the House.
Thus far, they’ve been unable to find a Republican to carry the bill, as Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, who supports civil unions, has yet to be swayed to sign on.
Interestingly, the divide on the issue of civil unions is generational, with voters under 30 supporting gay marriage by a 77-23 margin.
“That should be a real warning sign to the GOP that continuing to tack right on this issue is going to significantly hurt its ability to appeal both to the next generation of voters and to swing voters who are somewhere between moderate and liberal on social issues,” Public Policy Polling concluded.
