We Just Can’t Afford Equality

The legislature in Colorado is currently considering a bill (SB 88) that would add domestic partners to the list of dependents eligible for coverage under state employee group benefit plans.

Of course, Religious Right groups oppose such efforts and are running radio ads urging people to call their state Senators and tell them to vote against it. 

Here is an ad being run in the state by Focus on the Family Action and the Colorado Family Institute (which just so happens to be an organization that Focus created and which serves as one of its affiliated family policy councils) where they argue that, in these tough economic times, the state just can’t afford to be “experimenting” with equality:

According to Governor Bill Ritter’s office, Colorado must shut down two prisons, cut $225 million from school funding, and suspend property tax breaks for senior citizens just to keep our state afloat financially. And while the global economic crisis continues to take its toll, our legislature is considering a bill that would use our tax dollars to fund benefits for the same-sex partners of state employees.  We’re being told these benefits will cost over $100,000, but many fear that number has been grossly underestimated.  The city of Aurora is debating a similar policy and they estimate it will cost them just under fifty grand a year, and that is for the employees of just one city.

Coloradans can’t afford this social experiment.

Please call the Senate main office at 303 866-2316 and ask your Senator to vote “no” on SB 88.

Let them know it is not okay to use our tax dollars in such an irresponsible way.

This message brought to you by Colorado Family Action and Focus on the Family Action.