Same Sex Couples Will Be Able To Adpot With Ease in Denver
It looks as if Denver's Gov. Bill Ritter is having a brain malfunction these days. The head of State is under the hot seat and now he is having to deal with the wrath from Catholics and other religious organizations to veto a bill that would allow same-sex couples and other unmarried partners to adopt children.
The governor, a Catholic, said he will resist such lobbying and sign the bill to give more children a two-parent home.
Current state law allows any married couple or single person to adopt a child but does not permit the unmarried partner of an adopter to sign onto the contract. Sponsoring Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, said that by giving both guardians ties to a child, whether they be a gay or lesbian couple, an unmarried couple or a mother trying to help her single daughter, the child will be in a more financially stable situation.
Religious organizations say the bill moves society from a family structure that has worked well for centuries, and adoption groups argue it reduces the courts’ oversight abilities and allows children to be moved around between adults like property.
The Catholic Conference of Colorado and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson have asked followers to e-mail and call the first-year Democratic governor to urge a veto. Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Dave Schultheis, who received similar communication when the bill passed through the Senate, said the number of people writing to legislators is far larger than the amount that flooded legislators with pleas before Ritter vetoed a pro-union bill this year.
But Ritter said his support of the legislation stems from his 12 years as Denver district attorney, where he saw cases involving children who came from one-parent or broken families.
He said he has “far less problems” than others do with the issue of gay or lesbian adoption.
“My preference here is to do, in a public policy way, things that are right by kids,” Ritter said. “I really believe that a two-parent adoption bill has the ability to do that broadly.”
That has not slowed the letters.
Jenny Kraska, deputy director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, said several thousand people have received alerts from her organization asking them to contact the governor.
Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs sent out news releases to locals and has testified on the bill. Susan Rezzonico, director of social concerns and public policy for the organization, said leaders know Ritter backs the bill but are arguing that signing it would be like enacting part of Refendum I, a pro-gay-rights measure that voters rejected in November.
“It looks like the governor is supporting this legislation, but we’re hopeful that he might listen to the will of the people,” Kraska said.
TIME TO BE HEARD
Do you like the adoption bill? Do you dislike it? You can e-mail Gov. Bill Ritter at governor.ritter@state.co.us
The governor, a Catholic, said he will resist such lobbying and sign the bill to give more children a two-parent home.
Current state law allows any married couple or single person to adopt a child but does not permit the unmarried partner of an adopter to sign onto the contract. Sponsoring Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, said that by giving both guardians ties to a child, whether they be a gay or lesbian couple, an unmarried couple or a mother trying to help her single daughter, the child will be in a more financially stable situation.
Religious organizations say the bill moves society from a family structure that has worked well for centuries, and adoption groups argue it reduces the courts’ oversight abilities and allows children to be moved around between adults like property.
The Catholic Conference of Colorado and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson have asked followers to e-mail and call the first-year Democratic governor to urge a veto. Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Dave Schultheis, who received similar communication when the bill passed through the Senate, said the number of people writing to legislators is far larger than the amount that flooded legislators with pleas before Ritter vetoed a pro-union bill this year.
But Ritter said his support of the legislation stems from his 12 years as Denver district attorney, where he saw cases involving children who came from one-parent or broken families.
He said he has “far less problems” than others do with the issue of gay or lesbian adoption.
“My preference here is to do, in a public policy way, things that are right by kids,” Ritter said. “I really believe that a two-parent adoption bill has the ability to do that broadly.”
That has not slowed the letters.
Jenny Kraska, deputy director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, said several thousand people have received alerts from her organization asking them to contact the governor.
Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs sent out news releases to locals and has testified on the bill. Susan Rezzonico, director of social concerns and public policy for the organization, said leaders know Ritter backs the bill but are arguing that signing it would be like enacting part of Refendum I, a pro-gay-rights measure that voters rejected in November.
“It looks like the governor is supporting this legislation, but we’re hopeful that he might listen to the will of the people,” Kraska said.
TIME TO BE HEARD
Do you like the adoption bill? Do you dislike it? You can e-mail Gov. Bill Ritter at governor.ritter@state.co.us
Source at the Gazette and author (303) 837-0613 or ed.sealover@gazette.com.
