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Marriage Equality

Ill. Senate Committee Moves Marriage Bill Forward

Ill. Senate Committee Moves Marriage Bill Forward

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A committee moves the bill to the full Senate, expected to vote on it Valentine's Day; it also needs a vote by the House and the governor's signature to become law.

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Today an Illinois Senate committee approved a marriage equality bill by a vote of 9-5, advancing it to the full Senate, where a vote is expected February 14.

"It should be a very welcome Valentine's Day gift for the thousands of couples and families that are anxiously awaiting the passage of this bill," said Rick Garcia, director of the Equal Marriage Illinois Project and senior policy adviser for the Civil Rights Agenda, an Illinois LGBT advocacy group. "The momentum continues to build in Illinois."

If approved by the full Senate, the bill will go to the House of Representatives, and if passed there, to Gov. Pat Quinn, who has said he will sign it. It would make Illinois the 10th state with marriage equality and the second in the Midwest.

Today in the House, Bloomington resident Danielle Cook testified that she and her partner, Suzie Hutton, need the law to "make our lives more complete," the Chicago Tribune reports. Ministers also testified both for and against the legislation.

A Senate committee had approved a version of the measure last month, just before the legislative session ended, and backers concluded there were not enough supporters in the full Senate to pass it before the session was over. The new legislature, seated shortly thereafter, has a greater number of LGBT rights supporters.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.