Colorado legislature: Same-sex marriage amendment to go to voters; Senate passes oil and gas measures

The Colorado legislature convened Saturday for a closing weekend of labor in its 2024 session, which is about to finish Wednesday. Main items of laws are nonetheless pending, with lawmakers anticipated to debate gun rules, housing, land-use coverage, transportation, property tax reform and different priorities within the closing days.

This story might be up to date all through the day.

Up to date at 1:30 p.m.: A proposed Constitutional modification to take away defunct language banning same-sex marriage will go to voters this November after a referred measure handed the Colorado Home on Saturday.

The proposed modification would take away a ban permitted by voters in 2006. It has been unenforceable since 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court docket legalized same-sex marriage nationwide with its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. A majority of voters might want to approve the proposal this November for it to take impact.

Senate Concurrent Decision 3 wanted not less than two-thirds assist in every chamber to go. It handed with bipartisan assist within the Senate however close to get together traces within the Home, the place Democrats maintain a supermajority.

The Senate formally handed Saturday a invoice to restrict minimal parking necessities close to transit areas. Home Invoice 1304 was considerably amended from its extra expansive launched model to beat filibuster threats from Democrats and Republicans. The Home and Senate might want to agree on modifications earlier than it goes to the governor’s desk. It is among the suite of payments aimed toward rising density and public transit working its method via the legislature. Advocates argue this invoice will take away expensive parking spots and enhance inexpensive housing development.

The Senate additionally formally handed a pair of payments to scale back emissions from oil and gasoline manufacturing and levy a per-barrel charge to pay for transit and wildlife habitat. The payments have been launched this week, with the intention of easing simmering tensions between environmental teams, legislators and the trade and dueling laws and poll initiatives affecting the trade. They’ll now go to the Home for consideration. The proposals might want to go by Wednesday, when the legislature will adjourn.