Colorado: Lois Court

A bill making it easier for gays and lesbians to leave property to their partners and visit each other in the hospital won tentative approval from the state House on Friday, over objections from opponents who said it was an attempt to establish civil unions.

The measure would allow any two unmarried people to make each other their designated beneficiaries.

Rep. Bob Gardner, a Republican from Colorado Springs, strongly opposed the bill. He called it an attempt to circumvent voters who have rejected civil unions and defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a Denver Democrat who is openly gay, said the bill is meant to give gays and lesbians, older people, and low-income people a range of rights, including to make hospital visits and funeral arrangements, and to inherit property when there's no will.

Rep. Spencer Swalm on Tuesday compared his health care bill to basic transportation - as opposed to a luxury ride.

"This is sort of a Chevy-type product," the Centennial Republican said. "But if the choice now is only between a Cadillac Escalade and walking, why don't we give the people of this state a chance to get a Chevy?"

His argument apparently worked.

One-third of House Democrats teamed with Republicans to pass Swalm's bill, which would allow four health maintenance organizations to offer limited-benefit plans aimed at younger, lower-income residents. They would likely not cover catastrophic events.

Several Democrats said the bill fell far short of the ideal - comprehensive care - but added that tough times have changed the landscape.

In a year that looks pretty good for Democrats, Republicans will be hard-pressed to make a big dent in the Democrats' 15-seat majority in the state House of Representatives.

But that doesn't mean all is lost for the GOP. House District 40 looks virtually certain to return to the Republicans, one year after Debbie Stafford turned rogue and delivered it into Democrats' hands.

There also appear to be a number of close races shaping up, the most interesting of these being House Districts 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 37, and 56.

[img_assist|nid=1960|title=Court|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=184|height=187]Asked why she won Tuesday's state House District 6 Democratic primary, Lois Court  didn't hesitate.

"I rejected special interest money and I accepted the spending limit," Court told PolitickerCO.com. "And I made it very clear to the people of this district that I was to represent their interests - not special interests - and that I want people to always be more important in my representation than money. It's just a real basic concept."