A September 12 article in the Craig Daily Press purporting to list amendments "[i]ncluded in the state portion of the ballot" contained information about an initiative that would constitutionally prohibit same-sex marriage but made no mention of a separate referendum referred to voters by the state legislature that would allow same-sex domestic partnerships.

The Daily Press article, by reporter Dan Olsen, listed six of the seven citizen-initiated amendments and one of the seven referenda that will appear on Colorado's November ballot.

Included in the Daily Press' list of amendments was a summary of Amendment 43, which, as the paper accurately reported, “would define marriage as 'only a union between one man and one woman' ” within the state constitution. The article failed, however, to mention Referendum I, which would amend Colorado's statutory law to “extend to same-sex couples in a domestic partnership the benefits, protections, and responsibilities that are granted by Colorado law to spouses.” Referendum I would also specify that “a domestic partnership is not a marriage, which consists of the union of one man and one woman.”

Amendment 43 and Referendum I, which both address the legal status of same-sex unions, have been widely discussed together. A September 10 Denver Post article about the two measures, for example, was headlined "Nuanced votes on gay issues: 2 ballot questions await decisions on marriage, partner rights." Moreover, the sole registered issue committee in favor of Amendment 43, the Colorado Family Action Issue Committee, is the sole registered issue committee that opposes Referendum I.

In addition, the only citizen-initiated amendment that the Daily Press' list omitted -- Amendment 42 -- would “increas[e] Colorado's minimum wage to $6.85 per hour, adjusted annually for inflation.”

Besides Referendum I, the Daily Press' list omitted the following referenda:

• Referendum F: “Removing Recall Timelines from the Constitution”
• Referendum G: “Elimination of Obsolete Constitutional Provisions”
• Referendum H: “Unauthorized Alien Labor Tax Deduction”
• Referendum J: “Public Schools Expenditure Accountability Act”
• Referendum K: “Attorney General Initiate Immigration Lawsuit”

From Olsen's September 12 Daily Press article, “Ballot initiatives official”:

Included in the state portion of the ballot, in addition to the elected offices, will be the following amendments.

• Amendment No. 38, petitions: The proposal would change petition rights and procedures for all levels of Colorado government.
• Amendment No. 39, school district expenditures for education: The proposal would require school districts to spend at least 65 percent of operational money on classroom instruction.
• Amendment No. 40, term limits on court of appeals and supreme court judges: The proposal would set a 10-year cap on terms for appellate judges.
• Amendment No. 41, ethics in government: The proposal would prohibit public officials and government employees from accepting monetary gifts or non-monetary gifts worth more than $50.
• Amendment No. 43, marriage: The proposal would define marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman.”
• Amendment No. 44, marijuana possession: The proposal would legalize the possessions of one ounce of marijuana for anyone 21 and older.
• Referendum E extends the existing property tax for qualifying seniors to any United States military veteran that is 100 percent disabled due to a service connected disability.

Some of the measures are lengthy, and Moffat County Chief Deputy Clerk Lila Herod recommends that people obtain sample ballots and read them thoroughly before entering the voting booth on Nov. 7.