Senate Republicans are gearing up for a possible showdown today, Feb. 2, with House Bill 1072.

The GOP is set to offer a blizzard of amendments to the Democrat bill allowing closed, forced-dues shops at Colorado workplaces, according to two GOP senators who will help lead the floor fight.

“We can’t stop the train, but hopefully we can slow it down long enough to convince Gov. (Bill) Ritter that this is horrible economic policy,” said Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita, who suggested that Republicans can likely hold the floor with 60 to 70 amendments.

“We want to create a public awareness to push the governor back to his campaign commitments of being against such legislation.”

Proposed amendments are likely to include taking Colorado in the opposite direction by making it a right-to-work state that bars closed shops.

HB-1072, authored by Rep. Mike Garcia, D-Aurora, and Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, was approved by a 4-3 party-line vote Tuesday in the Senate Business Technology and Labor Committee. The bill is up for consideration today on the Senate floor.

The proposal changes a section of the state’s Labor Peace Act that requires a second election prior to a workplace becoming a union shop. Within these shops, workers are required to join a union, or pay dues of its representation. If they do neither, they can be subject to termination.

Penry said Colorado is not a right-to-work state, which is a disincentive to new business.

“Our mission is to talk about the economic ramifications and how reckless this bill really is,” said Penry.

Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, called the measure counterproductive for Colorado and mentioned that it could potentially drive away new employers.

“We’re looking for more jobs in our state, and this measure would act as a barrier for new business,” Mitchell said.

On Monday, all 41 GOP state lawmakers in the House and Senate joined in signing a letter addressed to Ritter, urging him to veto HB-1072. The governor previously said publicly that he intends to sign the measure.

Mitchell faulted the entire Democrat leadership in the state for pushing the measure forward this week.

“Governor Ritter, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald talked a moderate game during the fall campaign,” he said, “but it didn’t take long for them to show their true colors.”