Justin's Political Corner

With the end of the Illinois’ spring legislation session just days away, LGBT leaders say that equal marriage legislation has the support needed to pass by month’s end.

Sponsors have until May 31 to pass the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” which would allow all couples, regardless of their gender, to marry. Failing that deadline, the bill’s passage would be delayed for months.

LGBT groups pushing for the bill say they are ready to see it come up for a vote.

“I have absolutely no doubt we’re going to be done with this by May 31,” said Jim Bennett, Midwest regional director for Lambda Legal. “I believe that this bill is going to pass.”

Bennett declined to give a specific vote count, but said that he expected the bill could be called and passed any day.

Rick Garcia, policy advisor for The Civil Rights Agenda, said he thinks the bill has the 60 votes needed for passage in the House.

“I believe we’re there,” said Garcia. “The cake is baked. We’re waiting for the icing.”

The bill passed the Senate on Valentine’s Day. House sponsors have since struggled to pull together enough votes to pass it in the House.

Illinois Unites for Marriage, a coalition of groups working for the bill, has scheduled a community meeting to update supporters on the bill’s progress and share plans surrounding the vote Wednesday evening.

The bill has the backing of major political players in Illinois, including Gov. Pat Quinn, who told Windy City Times that he has met personally with more than a dozen representatives in an attempt to get the bill passed. Quinn has said he will sign the measure into law.

Chief Sponsor Greg Harris has vowed not to call for a vote until the votes are there to pass it.

Steve Brown, a spokesperson for Speaker Mike Madigan, confirmed that Madigan has also met with wavering lawmakers in recent days in an effort to secure the final votes.

“There were conversations with people last week, hoping to persuade some people,” Brown said.

But when the vote comes is in the sponsors’ hands, Brown said.

“That would all be up to Greg Harris,” he said. Brown said he could not give a specific vote count.

Harris could not be reached to comment before press time.

If the bill does not pass by month’s end, sponsors will need to wait until at least until fall to push the legislation. That option, however, is not seen favorably. Representatives hold office for just two years, and campaigns are expected to heat up as the year goes on, making controversial legislation like equal marriage harder to pass with time.

Complicating that option, Garcia pointed out, will be anti-gay efforts to stop the bill. Delays in its passage will give anti-gay organizations and churches time to mobilize opposition. Illinois Family Institute, a staunchly anti-gay group, has already held several rallies throughout the Chicago area against the bill.

The Illinois Unites for Marriage community meeting will be held Wednesday, May 22nd at 5:30 p.m. at the Urban League, first floor conference room, 4510 S. Michigan Ave. That meeting will be cancelled if a vote is expected that day. See windycitytimes.com for up-to-the-minute information.

h/t: Windy City Times

Which brings us to Illinois. Land of Lincoln and recalcitrant House legislators.

May 8, 2013 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) (WLS) — The bill to allow same-sex couples to marry needs 60 votes to the pass the Illinois House. Its sponsor says his roll call of supporters has reached the high 50s.

“We’re now very close and when it comes on the board it will pass,” said Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago).

The Illinois Senate has already passed the legislation. All it will take is for a few more House legislators to enter the 21st century. They’ve now watched as the entire Rhode Island Senate Republican delegation voted in favor of same-sex marriage; they’ve watched Delaware move swiftly and get it done; and soon they will have watched Minnesota vote in a bipartisan manner to pass their marriage equality legislation. Yet Illinois, which many thought would be the first of possibly four states to legalize same-sex marriage, is still teetering on the brink of failure.

When the entire weight of the political structure in Illinois (the President, his former Chief of Staff and now Mayor of Chicago, the Governor, the state’s Attorney General, and both US Senators - one R, one D) are in favor of this legislation we can only stop and wonder: Is something rotten in Denmark (no, they have same-sex marriage) Illinois (beyond the famous dead of Chicago who rise to vote every election day)?

Get with it, Illinois.

H/T: jpmassar at Daily Kos

May 8, 2013 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) (WLS) — The bill to allow same-sex couples to marry needs 60 votes to the pass the Illinois House. Its sponsor says his roll call of supporters has reached the high 50s.

“We’re now very close and when it comes on the board it will pass,” said Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago).

The measure to redefine marriage in Illinois to mean between two people as opposed to a man and woman passed the Senate by a comfortable margin on Valentine’s Day.

Supporters predicted a similar result in the house where democrats also hold a super-majority.

But after many African-American churches and Chicago’s Catholic Archdiocese led by Cardinal Francis George stepped up their anti-gay marriage campaigns, house members representing predominantly black districts have publicly denounced the bill.

Harris remained confident he’ll have at least 60 votes by the end of session on May 31.

“This is the land of Abraham Lincoln. We have always supported equality, we’ve always supported fairness. Now is the time to be on the right side of history,” said Harris.

So nearing mid-May, the Marriage Equality bill is still unfinished business. And with only about three weeks left in session, the legislative clock is ticking.

We’re getting closer, but not quite yet.

h/t: ABC 7 Chicago

A year ago, when Vice President Joe Biden revealed in a television interview that he supported same-sex marriage, such unions were legal in six states.

As a recent town hall meeting in his district quickly grew heated, state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) said for the first time in his political career he wished he had brought something with him — security.

Franks was talking pension reform, but one man opposed to same-sex marriage became particularly agitated.

It was heated. For the first time, I felt, I really should have had security here,” Franks told the Chicago Sun-Times. “He got physically close, I probably asked him eight times to stop and felt he was being rude. We were in a public place. It was a little bizarre.”

Franks isn’t saying which way he’s going to vote on the issue, insisting he hasn’t decided and sees pension reform as his top issue.

In the last several weeks, behind-the-scenes pressure as well as public rancor over a same sex marriage bill still pending in the Illinois House has intensified. Picketers are coming out in force. Legislators have spoken to Cardinal Francis George personally on the phone.

One potential death threat — later deemed unfounded — was under investigation by the Illinois State Police and Mundelein police against Republican Ed Sullivan, a state representative who publicly disclosed his support for the bill.

This year, it’s no surprise there’s a more sophisticated push on both a national and state level, with big donors on both sides intimating they will pull support for a candidate or fund a challenger if the vote doesn’t go their way. House Speaker Michael Madigan has previously said the issue is a dozen votes shy of passage. Behind-the-scenes activists say it’s closer — but therein lies the potential for ramped up volatility.

The National Organization for Marriage has publicly said it would bankroll challengers to any Illinois Republican who votes for the bill. Groups opposed to same sex marriage have funded robo-calls to the districts of undecided lawmakers. The calls ask constituents to simply press a number and they’re directed to their representative’s district office. In some cases, it’s brought an onslaught of callers voicing their opposition.

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the sponsor of the House bill, said he’s heard positive feedback from the surprise yes votes — including from Sullivan.

“This is a very important topic, no one should be disrespectful or hateful in their approach,” Harris said.

Bernard Cherkasov of Equality Illinois said his group has sponsored phone banking, where constituents are contacted by phone and educated on same sex marriage. But Cherkasov said that the group urges its volunteers keep the conversation tame and respectful.

H/T: Chicago Sun-Times

The rings? Check. The guest list? Check. The marriage license? Well, that remains to be seen when it comes to same-sex couples in Illinois.

While vocal opposition to same-sex marriage remains, more state politicians and organizations are backing legalization. LGBT advocates believe the gay marriage bill is very close to clearing its last real hurdle: the Illinois House. Elected officials from President Obama to U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) have endorsed gay marriage. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of two same-sex marriage cases.

“In the last year, both in Illinois and around the rest of the country, the change in public opinion and political support has been phenomenal,” said State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), who is sponsoring the House’s gay marriage bill.

Opponents are lobbying state legislators to maintain marriage as it currently is defined under state law: a union between a man and a woman. Some say doing so serves the best interests of children.

“The state should have and does have right now a policy which obviously promotes traditional marriage, and we want to keep it that way,” said Paul Caprio, director of Family-Pac, part of the Coalition to Protect Children and Marriage.

Illinois’ gay marriage bill, which was passed by the state Senate in February, would define marriage as an act between two people and give same-sex married couples the same benefits and protections as heterosexual couples. It would not require churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship to provide their religious facilities for marriage ceremonies if such ceremonies are in violation of their religious beliefs.

The gay marriage bill has yet to be called in the House because supporters haven’t secured the 60 votes required to pass it.

If the House passes the bill and Gov. Quinn signs it into law, Illinois would become the 10th state in the country and the second in the Midwest to allow same-sex couples to marry.

The state would join Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington and Washington, D.C., in legalizing gay marriage.

If gay marriage supporters fail to get the bill passed by May 31, the end of the spring session, they likely would have to wait until the fall session to address it.

History

Harris first proposed the gay marriage bill in 2007. Instead, civil unions for gay couples advanced, giving same-sex couples state benefits but not the federal benefits married couples get. Most states do not recognize civil unions. The Illinois General Assembly passed the civil unions bill in 2010.

The gay marriage bill has been re-introduced but has stalled until this year.

After the state Senate passed the bill on Valentine’s Day, the House bill still awaits passage.

“Just the pace of change on this topic has been unprecedented,” Harris said. “I think it will continue to move in this direction. People in every walk of life are believing, let’s treat all our families equally.”

A New Family Structures Study by a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin and published last year in the Social Science Research journal found that young adults whose parents have ever had same-sex relationships fared worse in many cases than young adults raised by biological parents in heterosexual marriages.

Among the results: They were more likely to be in therapy for problems linked to anxiety and depression and more likely to have been arrested and be unemployed.

The study was criticized for its methodology and funding from conservative foundations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics published a policy statement in support of marriage equality.

“There is extensive research documenting that there is no causal relationship between parents’ sexual orientation and children’s emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral development,” the statement said. “Many studies attest to the normal development of children of same-gender couples when the child is wanted, the parents have a commitment to shared parenting, and the parents have strong social and economic supports.”

Court cases

As the U.S. Supreme Court considers California’s ban on gay marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to gay couples, two local cases are pending.

Two lawsuits were filed in May 2012 by Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois in Cook County Circuit Court against Cook County Clerk David Orr. The suits note that same-sex couples were denied marriage licenses.

Orr agrees with the plaintiffs that gay couples should be allowed to marry. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Illinois Attorney General’s Office both support the lawsuits and said the state’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional. Cook County officials are not challenging the lawsuit, but clerks from five other counties, allowed by the court to intervene in the lawsuit, are fighting it.

Political heavyweights

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) has introduced gay marriage and civil union bills since 2007. He is the chief sponsor of the gay marriage bill pending in the House while state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) is the main sponsor of the gay marriage bill that the Senate passed. If the House passes the bill and it goes to his desk, Gov. Quinn has said he will sign it into law.

Coalition to Protect Children and Marriage

A grassroots group of opponents to gay marriage including the conservative political action committee Family-Pac, the Illinois Family Institute, Eagle Forum of Illinois, Catholic Citizens of Illinois, the Thomas More Society, Abstinence and Marriage Partnership, Lake County Right to Life and Concerned Christian Americans.

Illinois Unites for Marriage

A project of the ACLU Illinois, Equality Illinois and Lambda Legal in support of gay marriage that has been endorsed by more than 50 organizations.

h/t: Red Eye Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) - Gov. Pat Quinn says he’s confident same-sex marriage will become law in Illinois.

Quinn told reporters in Chicago on Monday that supporters are “very close” to the votes needed in the state House to pass legislation that grants same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The Illinois Senate already approved it. But getting the 60 votes needed in the House is proving harder. Quinn didn’t suggest a current vote count, but he said “we’re going to get it done.”

According to Governor Pat Quinn’s wording on this issue, it looks like the Illinois House will likely vote on same-sex marriage within the next two weeks (or really anytime before the end of May). Expect the debate on both sides of the issue to ratchet up to 30 in the coming days on social media, our state Legislature, and in the churches.

h/t: KSDK.com

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) has come out for marriage equality.

Said Kirk on his website:

When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others.

Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. Our time on this Earth is limited, I know that better than most.  Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back— government has no place in the middle.

Kirk is the second Republican Senator to come out for marriage equality, joining Ohio’s Rob Portman. A marriage equality bill is currently under consideration in Illinois, awaiting a vote in the House.

I voted for Mark Kirk’s opponent (Giannoulias) in 2010, but good for him. That, however, may make him a primary target from the right in 2016. He joins Illinois’ other Senator (Dick Durbin, D) in supporting marriage equality. 
H/T: Towleroad

Chicago, IL — As the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed gay marriage this week, the battle for marriage equality heats up in Illinois. 

“I think we’ll have marriage equality in Illinois by summer,” state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) told WMAQ-TV on Wednesday. 

Harris is the sponsor of the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which, if passed, would make Illinois the 10th state to allow same-sex marriage. 

The openly gay state lawmaker believes arguments being heard by the Supreme Court enhance the debate in Illinois.

“There’s been just a monumental shift in public opinion,” he said. ”We’re really living in a great moment of time.” 

“The majority of Illinoisans want this, and the legislators know their constituents want it,” Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov told ChicagoPride.com March 14. 

Sixty votes are needed for passage. Harris has refused to publicly announce when a full House vote might take place. He told Chicago Sun-Times March 4, “When I call this for a vote, it will pass.” 

The legislation passed the House Executive Committee in a narrow 6-5 vote Feb. 26, and the full state Senate Feb. 14. A full House vote is the final hurdle before the measure reaches Gov. Pat Quinn. The bill will not face a vote in the House until after lawmakers return from spring break on April 8.

H/T: GoPride.com

Springfield, IL — Marriage activists continue to press House legislators towards a vote on Religious Freedom and Marriage Act, which, if passed, would make Illinois the 10th state in the union allowing its gay and lesbian citizens to marry.

A vote had been expected by midweek, but seemed unlikely to take place Wednesday, according to Bernard Cherkasov of Equality Illinois, which has been lobbying on the bill’s behalf.

“But I still feel strongly that we’re very close,” said Cherkasov. ”The majority of Illinoisans want this, and the legislators know their constituents want it.”

House Speaker Michael Madigan said Wednesday that the bill still was likely 12 votes shy of passing. He also said that he’d been contacted by Cardinal Francis George about the issue, but that he nevertheless supported the bill.

Sixty votes are needed for passage. Even with a Democratic majority in the House, it’s generally a more conservative body than the Senate; supporters have had to carefully weigh when to call the vote as numbers have fluctuated throughout the week. Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the bill’s sponsor, had long refused to publically announce when it might take place. He told Chicago Sun-Times March 4, “When I call this for a vote, it will pass.” 

Harris was skeptical of Madigan’s numbers Wednesday. He told Chicago Tribune, “I have not spoken to the speaker so I don’t know what assumptions he’s using.”

Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady staved off an attempt to oust him from office after he voiced support for the legislation. Several moderate Republicans, among them U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, voiced support for Brady and warned that the objectors risked alienating more moderate conservatives. 

But other opponents have also mobilized. A coalition of African-American churches and conservative Catholics said March 5 that politicians voting for gay marriage would not be welcome to speak or visit. Windy City Times reported that Oak Park residents are receiving robo-calls from former Sen. James Meeks, asking them to persuade Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) to vote against the bill. Ford has not disclosed how he’ll vote, and supporters of the bill held a rally outside his office March 10.

Downstate residents have received numerous robo-calls as well; many were aimed at Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) and Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), according to DNAinfo.com. They decry the politicians for having accepted “homosexual money.”

The legislation passed the House Executive Committee in a narrow 6-5 vote Feb. 26, and the full state Senate Feb. 14. Gov. Pat Quinn has said that he would sign it.

After the bill passed out of the Senate Executive Committee last month, Quinn issued a statement that said, “We took the first step towards marriage equality two years ago when I signed civil unions into law. Since that day, thousands of committed couples in 92 counties across our state have entered into civil unions. Now is the time for the next step in providing equal rights to all people in Illinois.”

Next week will be the earliest the bill possibly gets voted on in the House. 

H/T: Chicago Pride