From: WAND_M@gold.colorado.edu
Subject: Lawmaker to seek repeal of Amendment 2
Followup-To: amend2-discuss@cs.colorado.edu
Originator: doherty@ucsu.Colorado.EDU
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 05:23:11 GMT

Fellow legislator dismiss idea
By Louis Aguilar and Ray Flack, Gazette Telegraph of Colorado Springs
December 8, 1992

State House Minority Leader Sam Williams said Monday he's drafting a 
legislative measure that would overturn Amendment 2, but Gov. Roy Romer and 
other lawmakers quickly dismissed the idea and said it would fail.

Lawmakers who are concerned about the bad publicity Amendment 2 has brought the 
state are nevertheless wary about the voter backlash any legislative move 
against it might spark.

Williams, though, says he's going to press the issue.  The Breckenridge 
Democrat hopes to have his proposed state constitutional amendment ready for 
the Jan. 13 opening day of the legislative session.

"I am looking at a proposal that will be a simple repeal and restore our law to 
the status it had before the Nov. 3 election," he said.  "I want this proposal 
to send the message that Colorado is not closed.  I am concerned about the 
economic damage that has already been done."

Passage of the controversial amendment, drafted by Colorado Springs-based 
Colorado for Family Values, has angered gays and drawn calls for an economic 
boycott of the state.

Williams said he returned this week from a meeting of the National Black Caucus 
in New Orleans, and he and the president of the organization, state Sen. Regis 
Groff, D-Denver, "had to fight off" moves to boycott Denver.  Denver is 
scheduled to be the site of the group's national convention in 1993.

Williams' measure would have to be approved by two-thirds of the House and the 
Senate and then by state voters in order to overturn Amendment 2, which 
prohibits laws protecting gays from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

House Speaker Chuck Berry, R-Colorado Springs, described the move as premature.

"I haven't seen any evidence of discrimination against homosexuals as a result 
of the passae of Amendment 2," he said.  "There are better ways to approach 
this, and we should go the legal route first."

A lawsuit seeking to overturn Amendment 2 is pending in Denver District Court.

Senate Minority Leader Larry Trujillo, D-Pueblo, said "a straight repeal 
doesn't have a chance of getting enough votes" in the Legislature.

"You have to respect what the voters approved," he said.  But he added he 
believes many people voted for Amendment 2 because they think gays are seeking 
civil rights equal to that of blacks, women and other minorities.

Trujillo said he's support a measure that would give gays protection from 
housing and job discrimination.  While he called that a "clarification of the 
amendment," such a measure would in essence overturn it.

Newly elected Senate president Tom Norton, R-Greeley, also described Williams' 
proposal as hasty, as did Romer, who spoke as gingerly as everyone else.

"We need to correct our position on this, but how we do it needs to be more 
fully discussed," Romer said.  As a state, we need more understanding of what 
the voters actually want.  Any repeal of the amendment should have replacement 
language.  But first we need to let the dust settle and see just what we have."

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