Gay Rights Win One, Lose One With Legislation in Colorado

Gov. Bill Owens vetoed a bill Friday that would have outlawed workplace discrimination against gays. But he allowed a measure to take effect extending protection to gays under Colorado’s hate crimes law.

The workplace discrimination bill would have prohibited an employer from firing, demoting or harassing an employee based on sexual orientation.

Owens said he considered the measure unnecessary and said it could have forced employers into costly lawsuits.

The bill’s opponents had argued that an employer might not know the orientation of an applicant or worker and yet be sued for alleged discrimination.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, a Democrat, said he was disappointed by the veto.

Gay rights groups said it did not make sense for Owens to let one bill become law and veto the other. “On the one hand, you have the governor saying it’s wrong to inflict violence on gay people, but it’s OK to fire a person because they are gay,” said David Smith, vice president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Owens said he let the hate crimes bill become law without his signature because it was part of an omnibus crime bill. The measure increases penalties for attacking gays because of their sexual orientation.