Illinois Business Leaders Make Plea for Marriage Equality

A group of business leaders signed an open letter to Illinois's general assembly urging the passage of marriage equality legislation.

Fred Eychaner, chairman of the Newsweb Corp., and Laura Ricketts, the out co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, signed the letter. Google, Orbitz Worldwide, and Groupon also urged action, ThinkProgress reports.

"Marrige equality would strengthen the workforces of Illinois employers, who know there is no substitute for employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences," read part of that letter. "Companies must understand a changing marketplace and be able to connect with their customers; having a diverse workforce is part of that. That's one reason many employers have adopted nondiscrimination policies and offer domestic partner benefits."

The letter also said marriage legislation would bring a financial windfall to the state. Read more here.