DENVER -- Supporters of traditional marriage rallied at the Colorado Capitol as tensions remained high one day after state Republicans rejected civil unions legislation.

Dozens of people on Tuesday cheered Republican lawmakers and thanked state House Speaker Frank McNulty, who assigned the civil unions bill Monday to a Republican-led House committee sure to defeat the legislation.

A man with a horn heckled McNulty as he urged the crowd to carry the "message throughout the state of Colorado that we will protect families."

At the same time, Democrats blasted McNulty for the demise of the bill and another proposal that would ask voters to repeal three laws that have been ruled unconstitutional. They related to campaign finance and to a 1992 voter-approved ban on cities passing anti-discrimination laws to protect gays.