http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/93 ... etail.html

Backers Of Immigration Ballot Proposal Rally At Capitol

POSTED: 10:54 am MDT June 15, 2006

DENVER -- Backers of a proposal to cut off most state services to illegal immigrants headed to a rally at the state Capitol Thursday as they wait to see if the state Supreme Court will reconsider its ruling blocking the measure from November's ballot.

Gov. Bill Owens says he will call state lawmakers back to work if the court doesn't reverse itself.

Defend Colorado Now said it already has about 34,000 petition signatures in hand and up to 20,000 more people have signed petitions still being circulated. Director Fred Elbel said the group hopes people will return those petitions Thursday and take new petition forms to circulate.

On Monday, the court ruled 4-2 that the measure couldn't appear on the ballot because it violated a constitutional requirement that initiatives deal with only one subject. Attorney General John Suthers has said he plans to appeal.

It's too late for backers to introduce a revised proposal, so they want to keep collecting signatures in case the court clears the measure. The deadline for submitting petition signatures to get on the ballot is Aug. 7.

An appeal to the Supreme Court must be filed by June 26. There's no deadline for the court to decide on whether to reconsider but Owens said he would give the court several weeks to decide before calling lawmakers back.