Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.

Illinois lawmakers urged to pass gay marriage legislation in lame duck session

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

November 18, 2010

By Kyle Maichle

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois: As Illinois state lawmakers are back in Springfield for the lame duck veto session, a gay rights advocacy group is urging the General Assembly to pass gay marriage legislation[1].

Lambda Legal, a national-interest law firm that defends the gay community, is urging members of the General Assembly to pass a bill that legalizes civil unions in the Prairie State[1]. James Bennett, lead counsel for Lambda Legal's Midwest region, said: "committed same-sex couples in Illinois, many who have kids and have been together for decades, are legal strangers under the law.”[1]

Legalizing gay marriage or civil unions in Illinois was a hot-button issue during the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Governor Pat Quinn told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald in October of 2010 that civil unions were close to becoming law in Illinois[2]. Quinn told the suburban-Chicago newspaper that, “the votes are there, I believe...In the Senate for sure, and definitely I think we can do it in the House."[2]

An October 2010 poll from the Paul Simon Institute at Southern Illinois found that 67.5 percent of respondents are in favor of legalizing gay marriage or civil unions[1]. No date has been scheduled for a vote on the bill in either house of the General Assembly[3].

See also

Ballotpedia News

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lez Get Real, "Illinois General Assembly Urged to Pass Civil Unions Bill," November 16, 2010
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Advocate, "Ill. Close to Civil Unions, Gov. Says," October 7, 2010
  3. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Illinois Could Pass Civil Unions," November 17, 2010
v • e
Ballotpedia Email Updates
Flag of Illinois
v • e
State of Illinois
Springfield (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2026 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Illinois_lawmakers_urged_to_pass_gay_marriage_legislation_in_lame_duck_session&oldid=8447723"