Civil Unions Bill Dies in Colorado DENVER - A last-minute call for a special legislative session could revive a bill that would have allowed civil unions for same-sex couples in Colorado. The bill died late Tuesday night after lawmakers reached an impasse on whether it would be heard on the floor of the House of Representatives before the legislative session concluded on Wednesday. The apparent end to the civil unions legislation Tuesday night was a blow to its supporters, who appeared to have mustered enough votes, including those of several Republicans, to pass the bill, which Gov. John W. Hickenlooper had said he intended to sign. The bill, which had already passed the State Senate, needed to be heard on the House floor before midnight. After the deadline passed, supporters accused Republican legislative leadership of deliberately stalling on other legislation, preventing debate. Fallout continued through Wednesday, when Eric Brown, a spokesman for Mr. Hickenlooper, said the governor was disappointed in the bill's fate, and had decided to call a special legislative session to deal with issues, like civil unions, that had not been addressed in time. "Although a clear majority of Colorado voters support civil unions - and a clear majority of our representatives agree with them - House leadership killed the bill, proving just how out of touch they are with everyday Coloradans," said Brad Clark, executive director of One Colorado, a statewide gay and lesbian advocacy group that supported the bill. Members of the Republican legislative leadership in Colorado, who are opposed to civil unions, argued that Democrats had forced a political showdown by waiting until the end of the session to push the legislation through. At one point on Tuesday night, Democratic lawmakers tried through a procedural motion to halt the debate on other bills after it seemed that Republicans were drawing out their comments. Legislators appealed to reporters to plead their case. I'll tell you why this bill moved at a different pace. Because the Democrats were playing politics with it," said Representative Mark Waller, a Republican from Colorado Springs. If this bill had come over two months ago, or even one month ago, we would not be in this circumstance right now. Civil unions would have its hearing. Representative Mark Ferrandino of Denver, one of four openly gay state legislators here, and a sponsor of the bill, then turned toward Mr. Waller, saying, "We're willing to work with you to figure out a way to make sure that every bill, tonight, gets an up-or-down vote on it." But Republicans responded by calling a recess, and the impasse was unresolved when the midnight deadline arrived. Tim Gill, the wealthy philanthropist and software entrepreneur who has played an important role in backing gay rights initiatives around the country, released a statement expressing his dismay. "It is unfortunate that Republican leaders chose to ignore the many personal stories of committed, loving couples who simply want to be treated fairly under our laws," said Mr. Gill, whose foundation is based in Denver.