Colorado's five openly gay lawmakers on
Thursday called on the state to give up its fight to keep its ban on
gay marriage as a federal case proceeds.
The lawmakers made their plea a day
after Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper and Republican Attorney
General John Suthers asked a federal court to declare invalid the
state's ban but delay implementation until the Supreme Courts has
ruled in a separate but similar case.
Six same-sex couples filed the
challenge to Colorado's restrictive marriage ban after the Tenth
Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld a lower court's ruling
striking down Utah's ban. The ruling has reverberated in Colorado,
which is under the Tenth Circuit's jurisdiction.
Speaking before reporters at the
Capitol, Democratic Senator Pat Steadman said: “There's nothing
left to argue about. It's time to put a court order in place
enjoining the enforcement of our ban in Colorado. Let people be
married and move on with their lives.”
“Don't delay. Don't appeal.
Concede, confess the unconstitutionality of this law,” he added.
Meanwhile, Suthers has sued Boulder
County Clerk Hillary Hall for refusing to stop issuing marriage
licenses to gay couples. Hall's office cited the Utah decision in
defending its move.
(Related: Colorado
sues county clerk to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.)