ILLINOIS: Civil Unions On Fast Track

[WillParkinson]

ILLINOIS: Civil Unions On Fast Track

Thanks to the election of pro-gay Gov. Pat Quinn, a civil unions bill may be presented in the Illinois legislature as soon as this Tuesday when lawmakers return after the election break.

During the gubernatorial campaign, Governor Pat Quinn said he favored civil unions. "We have legislation in Illinois very close to passage," said Quinn during an appearance at Market Days in August. "I believe we can pass that this year." Quinn restated his support for the measure on Wednesday and now some lawmakers say the vote could happen soon. "I think we're awfully darned close," openly gay Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) told the Chicago Sun-Times. Last year a house bill, co-sponsored by Harris, to allow civil unions in Illinois was successfully voted out of committee, but never came up for a full vote. Equality Illinois, which endorsed Quinn, has renewed the push and remains optimistic that the bill can get enough votes to succeed by the end of the year.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/11/illinois-civil-unions-on-fast-track.html

[joeybee12]

1. Do you think their newly elected gay US Senator will voice his support? nt

[Prism]

2. It is long, long past time

Illinois is one of those no-brainer cases that has genuinely puzzled me for a long time. State government is overwhelmingly Democratic. Right-wing efforts to seek a constitutional amendment or force a popular initiative against gay marriage have fizzled entirely. It's a fairly blue-purple state.

And yet the Democratic Party in Illinois has stalled and stalled and stalled. For years. For what purpose? None that anyone can see. They just could not be bothered for some reason.

They need to start bothering.

[terrya]

3. The excuse was because of the budget.

Well, first they had to jettison that corrupt sack of shit Blagojevich. And then the aftermath from that, and then trying to deal with the budget, etc.

Sound familiar?

We should have, from what I read, civil unions in place by the end of the year. And then, let's say a year from now, when people see that fire hasn't rained from the sky, civilization hasn't collapsed just because a gay and lesbian couple entered into a civil union, we then go after marriage here.