An initiative to ban gay marriage appears comfortably headed toward the November ballot while a second measure to prohibit domestic partnerships remains in doubt as Monday’s deadline for signatures looms.
Coloradans for Marriage, which seeks to define marriage as between one man and one woman, plans to deliver about 100,000 signatures to the secretary of state – well over the 68,000 needed to get on the ballot, said Jon Paul, the group’s executive director.
The organization relied largely on grassroots church support to gather its signatures, but used paid canvassers in its final push. A $100,000 contribution last week from Ed McVaney, former chair of the software company J.D. Edwards, nearly doubled the group’s fundraising efforts.
“We ended up with more than enough signatures,” Paul said, “but we just wanted to be sure.”
State Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, said his Protecting Colorado Children group was “within shooting distance” of its signature goal for a measure that would ban domestic partnerships.
“We’re working hard,” said Lundberg, adding that the effort may come down to the wire on Monday.
Lundberg’s measure would counter a referendum already on the ballot that would grant certain rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples.
