The latest on SB1716, the Illinois civil unions legislation that Gov. Pat Quinn has urged legislators to fast track. SB1716 passed the House 61-52 and moves to the Senate.
Senate committee passes SB1716 on a 6-2 partyline vote. "Sponsoring Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, said the measure took on a special meaning to him because he has a daughter who is gay."
The Illinois General Assembly is expected to vote this afternoon on the legislation. Supporters are lining up the final votes they need in the Illinois House and are very close, reports ABC 7. "Supporters say they're close to having the 60 votes needed to pass the measure in the House. If it passes there, backers think the Senate quickly would follow suit and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn would sign it into law. 'I do think this is the time for Illinois to do this,' Quinn said. 'This is a good way to show employers—big businesses all across the country—that Illinois treats everyone with tolerance.'"
Watch debate HERE ...
llinois House Speaker Michael Madigan believes there are enough votes to pass the legislation.
Opponents are worried about the House’s 18 lame ducks, especially Republicans, reports the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "David E. Smith, executive director the Illinois Family Institute, said he has heard anecdotally about some lawmakers from conservative areas who aren't returning to office after January and appear poised to support [the] bill."
Supporters even have a Catholic nun on their side ...
State Sen. and Rev. James Meeks, the Chicago mayoral candidate and outspoken anti-gay pastor of one of the city's largest mega-churches, is reportedly working "behind the scenes" to "derail its passage". "A source in Springfield tells ChicagoPride.com that Meeks ... has allegedly been working behind the scenes with other African-American ministers to derail passage in the House as an effort to keep the legislation from making it to the Senate, thus relieving the prominent minister from declaring his vote, for or against, on record."
The Catholic Conference of Illinois, which is fighting against the civil unions bill, is apparently so concerned that it could pass the House today that it has issued a statement offering an 11th hour compromise. "We stand ready to work with the legislature and other agencies of state government to prevent unjust discrimination and to provide benefits to people judged by the civic authority as deserving — as long as such provision does not include the attempted redefinition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman for the sake of family," the statement said.
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