Tagged: gay marriage

The Illinois Senate has voted to legalize gay marriage, advancing a proposal that would make the state the 10th in the nation allowing same-sex couples to wed.  Lawmakers approved a measure to lift a state ban on same-sex marriage yesterday with a 34 - 21 vote. The bill now moves to the House, where Democrats also hold a majority.

Thomas More Society attorneys say they aren’t too unhappy that a Cook County judge ruled against them in a gay marriage case. Chicago-based Thomas More Society attorney Tom Brejcha says he is looking forward to briefings on the motion to dismiss the case. A Cook County judge denied the law firm's request yesterday  to delay the case pending U.S. Supreme Court action on gay marriage.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says the toughest issue for the state is its worst-in-the-nation public pension system, but he only made scattered references to it throughout his State of the State address Wednesday. Quinn supports Senate Bill 1, which would increase contributions and reduce benefits. The bill sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton failed to get a House vote. Illinois has nearly $100 billion in unfunded liability.

An Illinois Senate committee has approved legalizing gay marriage for the second time in a month. The Executive Committee voted 9-5 yesterday to move legislation giving marital rights to same sex couples to the Senate floor. The Democrats have a 40-member majority and say they have the votes needed. The same committee OK'd a similar measure just after the New Year in the final days of the last General Assembly. But a floor vote was scuttled because supporters feared they were short of the 30 necessary votes.

Legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois is expected to come up in a Senate committee meeting today and could see a floor vote on Valentine's Day. Democratic Senator Heather Steans is the bill’s sponsor. She says it's on the executive committee's agenda, and she's confident it has the support to pass the Senate next week.