Ritter says he'd sign same-sex benefits bill

True to form, Gov. Bill Ritter didn't say much Thursday when asked about his stance on several major bills going through the legislature, but he did indicate he'd probably sign at least one important to the gay community.

Senate Bill 88, which has passed the House and is headed to the Democratic governor's desk, would grant benefits to the same-sex partners of state workers.

"I expect to sign that but I haven't heard from the opposition on that," Ritter said. "If there's a request to do that, I'll certainly let them do that."

Meanwhile, his stance on two other major bills moving through the legislature is unknown. That's common for Ritter, who rarely takes positions on legislation, at least publicly, until bills reach his office.

House Bill 1274, which would repeal the death penalty, awaits a hearing in a Senate committee. The former prosecutor, however, denied assertions made on a Democratic blog site that he had committed to signing such a death penalty repeal bill during his 2006 campaign.

"I have not committed to signing it," Ritter said. "It is a bill where I have committed to listening to the people who will be making the case (and) others who are opposed to it. There was a great deal of testimony on both sides of this.

"I'll do what I do in these kinds of situations where people have requested to talk to me before I make my decision."

Also close to the vest was his position on Senate Bill 180, which would allow firefighters in larger counties the right to unionize.

"We'll see what happens," the governor said. "I've said all along to the proponents of that bill that what they needed to have on board was local officials, county and municipal officials because it's important that those people who will bear the burden of this, that they understand what that means for them."

Bookmark/Search this post with: