*The sheer number of sponsors for this bill in both the Colorado House (38 sponsors out of 65 House seats) and Senate (20 sponsors out of 35 Senate seats) indicate strong support for this bill. Not only this, but there is bipartisan support for this bill.
*The Democratic Party is now in charge of both the Colorado House and Senate. Let's face it, there is still systemic resistance to marriage equality and civil unions in the GOP. It doesn't hurt to have a party in control that actually supports gay and lesbian families.
*Gov. John Hickenlooper, has already publicly expressed his support for a civil union bill in Colorado.
BTB noted that the current civil union bill does not contain language allowing religious adoption agencies to discriminate against civilly unionized couples. Catholic Charities of Colorado has already talked about ceasing operations if this bill passes, which sounds awful. That happened in Illinois last year after they passed a civil union law. Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois ceased operations in January 2012 -- and re-opened the next day after re-branding itself at Christian Social Services of Illinois. That's right. Same office. Same staff. Same services. No connection to the Dioceses. In other words, that civil union consequence doesn't seem as stark with that extra bit of history.
BTB reports that Colorado's civil union bill is expected to pass and would allow gay and lesbian couples to civilly unionize as early at May 1, 2013.