Senate Democrats pushed through a measure today that more than triples the state marriage license fee in order to fund a child-abuse program--while Republicans charged that the bill aims at the wrong target and amounts to a new tax on marriage. 

The proposal's author, Democrat Sen. John Morse, of Colorado Springs, also left some of his colleagues nearly speechless in debate on the Senate floor when he said people who didn't want to pay the higher license fee could live together instead.

"Certainly, if you want to avoid paying this fee, you have the option of common law marriage and you don’t have to pay for your marriage license," Morse said. When challenged on the remark by Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, Morse refused to back down, saying, "I said if they want to avoid the fee they have that as an option."

An astounded Mitchell reacted with disbelief after the vote.

"Basically, he's telling Coloradans, 'If you don't want to pay the toll, you can always shack up,' " he said. 

Morse's Senate Bill 47 raises the marriage-license fee from its current $10 to $35 in order to increase funding for the Court Appointed Special Advocates program, which intervenes on behalf of child-abuse victims.

Republicans agreed it's for a good cause but said dinging marriage was way off the mark.

"This is a brand new tax on marriage," said Sen. Greg Brophy, a Wray Republican, who pointed out that the revenue would go to to a purpose that is unrelated to the administrative costs of issuing marriage licenses.

Added Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Bill Cadman, "There is no nexus between taxing all marriages and funding a court-appointed advocate. This should go to a vote of the people.” 

Even Democrat Sen. Lois Tochtrop, of Thornton, seemed to agree with the Republican take on the issue though she said she backed the bill: "...I am going to ask for a yes vote on this bill even though it is a tax on marriage.”

Brophy said afterward that the bill's premise--that most marriages are somehow responsible for a crime like child abuse--was offensive and patently unfair to most married people.

"It's an unconstitutional tax in my opinion, and it's also a slap in the face," Brophy said. "He's basically saying that everybody who gets married is somehow going to be the cause of child abuse. I take that as a personal affront."