Justin's Political Corner
Medical marijuana use in Illinois is now in Gov. Pat Quinn’s hands after the state Senate approved legislation.
Lawmakers voted 35-21 Friday to send the measure to Quinn for final approval. Quinn hasn’t signaled whether he will sign it into law.
The proposal allows physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients with specific terminal illnesses or debilitating medical conditions. Cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV are among the 33 illnesses listed in the bill.
BREAKING: #ILSB10 (which legalizes marriage equality) has passed the Illinois State Senate, 34-21-2-2. #IL4M #ILequality #TWILL
— Justin Gibson (@JGibsonDem) February 14, 2013
ALTON - In the face of a possible vote today on gay marriage in Illinois, two Alton legislators said they will introduce a bill to place a referendum on the ballot that would define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
The definition would be added to the Illinois Constitution if it receives 60 percent of the vote.
State Sen. William R. Haine and state Rep. Dan Beiser, both Alton Democrats, said in a joint news release they are proposing the bill and the referendum to defend traditional marriage and traditional family values.
“The family unit is the most important part of our community,” Haine said. “Strong families make sure that their children are taught good manners and are given the tools they need to succeed. Our community understands and values the traditional family, and I will continue to defend the values we hold dear.”
Beiser said voters deserve a chance to vote on such an important issue.
“There is a lot of discussion right now about changing the definition of marriage in Illinois, which would fundamentally alter communities across the state,” Beiser said. “Such a big change should not be pushed on the people in Illinois unless they demonstrate that they want it. That is why I believe this issue must be brought before every voter. We must stand together and defend our values.”
Each Alton legislator introduced bills in their respective chambers. Both the House and Senate must approve one or the other bill, and the governor must sign it.
These two DINOs must be primaried ASAP!!
The Illinois Senate on Thursday is expected to advance a bill legalizing same-sex marriage to a vote in the state House of Representatives, the last remaining obstacle to marriage equality in the land of Lincoln.
The historic vote could come as early as 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Windy City Times, and marriage equality proponents are very confident in their odds.
The bill was advanced last week by the state Senate Executive Committee, for the second time. Following that vote, the powerful Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said he, too, was confident the bill will be approved by the full Senate in its Valentine’s Day vote and, in his State of the State address, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn urged both chambers of the state General Assembly to approve the bill so that he can sign into law.
The state House of Representatives is considered to be more conservative than the state Senate and those opposed to the bill are also ramping up their efforts. Downstate, Springfield Bishop Thomas John Paprocki issued a screed urging that Catholics who “propose or promote the legal establishment of marriage as something other than the union of one man and one woman harm the common good of society.”
If Illinois moves to legalize same-sex marriage, it will become the tenth marriage equality U.S. state. The state has had civil unions available for same-sex couples since June 2011.
The vote on #ILSB10 could happen as early as 11AM CST tomorrow. #IL4M #ILequality #Twill #ILove #p2 #lgbtq #marriageequality
— Justin Gibson (@JGibsonDem) February 13, 2013
h/t: Huffington Post
February 10, 2013 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) (WLS) — It’s shaping up to be a big week ahead for those who support the push for same sex marriage in Illinois.
Lawmakers in the State Senate say they have enough votes to pass a bill that legalizes gay marriage.
It would then move to the House.
Sunday, gay rights activists protested outside of Holy Name Cathedral and rallied against Francis Cardinal George’s opposition to the bill.
Illinois would be the 10th state to approve gay marriage if the bill passes.
It is expected to come up for a vote on Valentine’s Day.
H/T: ABC7News Chicago
BREAKING: The Illinois Senate Exec. Committee voted 9-5 in favor to send the Marriage Equality bill to the full Senate. #Twill #ILEquality
Vote on Illinois bill to legalize marriage equality expected to occur on February 14th (or sooner or later) in Senate. #twill #ILequality
Chicago, IL — A bill to legalize gay marriage in Illinois will come up in a Senate committee meeting Tuesday and could see a floor vote on Valentine’s Day.
“I’d like to pass it out of committee next week and pass it on Valentine’s Day,” Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said last week. Cullerton said that he believes the legislation has the necessary 30 votes to pass and move to the House.
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) previously said she expected to move the bill shortly after lawmakers returned to Springfield on Feb. 5.
The Civil Rights Agenda executive director Anthony Martinez confirmed to ChicagoPride.com that SB 110 will be called before a Senate committee meeting Tuesday at 1 p.m.
h/t: Chicago.GoPride.com
Valentine’s Day might just be particularly poignant this year for same-sex couples in Illinois.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is hoping to see legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois approved by lawmakers in time for the Feb. 14 holiday.
Cullerton told the paper he is hopeful the state Senate will approve the bill next week — and is confident they have the 30 votes of support needed to do so. The bill would then need to advancing to the House of Representatives, which is considered to be more conservative. Gov. Pat Quinn has already vowed to sign the bill.
Earlier in the week, Cullerton told the City Club of Chicago that those pushing for marriage equality were “getting more support in the public every day,” the Associated Press reports.
Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group Equality Illinois, told the Windy City Times that he sees Cullerton’s announcement as boding well for his and other advocates’ push for marriage equality in the land of Lincoln.
“I believe that the Senate president would not have announced a timeline on the bill if he did not think it had the votes to pass,” Cherkasov told the Windy City Times on Friday.
With marriage equality advocates ramping up their efforts, so too are the opposition — but apparently that group does not include the state’s Republican Party. According to a Sun-Times column by Capitol Fax blogger Rich Miller, Illinois GOP lawmakers, too, want to see the marriage equality bill approved as quickly as possible.
h/t: Huffington Post
With pro-gay lawmakers promising to push for marriage equality early this year, many have asked when the measure might come to a vote in Illinois.
“Theoretically, it could be as early as February,” said Randy Hannig, policy director of Equality Illinois.
The General Assembly is currently out but heads back into session Feb. 5.
Sponsors of the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act” have vowed to push the bill as soon as possible.
Some anticipated that turnover among legislators might slow the process. Marriage equality advocates tried to push the bill in the last General Assembly earlier this month.
With new lawmakers sworn in Jan. 9, LGBT groups will need to start over with counting supportive votes and talking to new lawmakers. But, Hannig said, much of that groundwork has already been laid.
h/t: Windy City Times
It is expected to become law once it passes both houses and Gov. Pat Quinn (D) will sign it into law, making Illinois the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriage. It would be the 1st Midwestern state to legalize SSM via legislative means. Just to the west/northwest, Iowa had it legalized by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2009.
Wasting no time in the fight for equal marriage in Illinois, sponsoring lawmakers will re-introduce legislation that would legalize gay marriage Wednesday.LGBTQ Nation:
That move comes on the same day that new lawmakers will be sworn in, the earliest possible time that sponsors could reintroduce the bill after it fell short last week.The introduction of the bill comes after a rollercoaster week for equal marriage proponents. Sponsors had hoped to push the bill to a full vote in the final days of the General Assembly’s veto session. But an absence of three supportive Senators stalled the bill, and the clock ran out of the measure.
Sponsors Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Greg Harris have vowed to push the bill to vote as soon as they are able. LGBT leaders have stated that movement on the bill could come by early February.
Harris has predicted that marriage equality will become law in 2013.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The chief sponsors of legislation in that would legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois plan to reintroduce the bill Wednesday shortly after the start of the 98th General Assembly, according to one of its chief sponsors.Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat and the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate, said Tuesday the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, will be simultaneously introduced in both the House and the Senate shortly after newly-elected lawmakers are sworn in to the legislature.
The move comes as no surprise to advocates and opponents tracking the bill, as Steans and its chief sponsor in the House, Rep. Greg Harris, previously said they will reintroduce the bill almost immediately upon the start of the new General Assembly after time ran out on efforts to bring the bill up for full vote during the 97th General Assembly’s lame duck legislative session, ending Tuesday.
In addition, Steans hopes Illinois will become the tenth state to approve the recognition of gay and lesbian marriages.
Currently, nine states and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex marriages. Three states — Washington, Maine and Maryland — approved same-sex marriage ballot measures in the November elections.
QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) -
Gay marriage is a hot button topic right now, and it could be coming front and center for Illinois lawmakers.
And lawmakers might vote on this pretty soon, maybe even as early as Tuesday.
The issue has pushed forward after getting approval by a committee Thursday.
Now lawmakers may be getting this back onto the senate floor on Tuesday to face off with the entire Illinois Senate.
If the measure becomes law, Illinois would become the tenth state to approve gay marriage, the first since the November election, and would garner public praise from President Obama.
Illinois already recognizes civil unions, but activists are pushing forfull gay marital rights, which would allow them benefits such as including their spouse on their insurance.
Now if this is passed in the Illinois Senate, it goes on to the House, and then to the desk of the Governor, and it would have to pass in each situation to become a law.
h/t: wgem.com
Marriage bill in Illinois passes out of senate committee. Vote expected on senate floor in early 2013. #Ilove #illinoismarriage
— Lambda Legal (@LambdaLegal) January 3, 2013
