IndivisibleNOCO recommends a YES vote on Amendment J to repeal the 2006 state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex marriage is legal in all states due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. However, given the current court’s appetite for revisiting what was thought to be settled law (such as Roe v. Wade), it’s possible that a future decision could return decisions on same-sex marriage to the states. The 2013 Colorado state law that legalized same-sex unions stands in conflict with the current constitutional language. Removing the definition of marriage from the state constitution would protect same-sex marriage in Colorado should Obergefell be overturned.
Because this amendment only removes language from the state constitution, it requires only a simple majority to pass.