Illinois Senate Approves Same-Sex Marriage: How Elmhurst's Senators Voted
See how the two state senators who represent Elmhurst voted on the Illinois Senate's same-sex marriage bill.
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The Illinois Senate approved legislation Thursday that would allow same-sex marriage in Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Senate voted 34-21. The bill provides equal opportunity for the same federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples that are currently awarded to other couples.
Here's how Elmhurst's state senators voted:
- 24th Senate: Kirk Dillard (R), No
- 23rd Senate: Tom Cullerton (D), Yes
The 24th District includes nearly all of Elmhurst, and the 23rd District includes only a small portion of Elmhurst's west side.
See how each member of the Illinois Senate voted.
The measure will now go to the Illinois House, where the fight to pass the bill is expected to be tougher, according to the Trib.
Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill if it makes it to his desk.
Dillard had this to say in a Wednesday article on Illinois Public Media online:
“Unless someone can prove to me that civil unions wouldn’t be enough, I would not sign a gay marriage bill. I believe you work on the civil union side of it to try to get equal rights that way, without infringing upon the beliefs of those who are religiously inclined.”
Dillard is eyeing a run for governor in 2014.
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Wash Woman
10:25 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
Discrimination to appease the "religiously inclined" is still discrimination. Kirk Dillard's vote makes it clear that he is OK with discrimination against gays. Not very enlightened, is he?
NancyC
11:40 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
I would say, thankfully, that Senator Dillard is a discriminating man, and that is a good thing.
protectmarriage
11:40 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
this is not about discrimination wash woman, this is about the sanctity of marriage, I extremely dispointed in Senator Cullerton, he has no business representing DuPage county. this man needs to go.
Melissa D
2:17 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
How on earth is two gay people marrying destructive to marriage? As far as any rational thinking person can see, the divorce rates today among heterosexuals have NOTHING to do with gay marriage. Marriage existed prior to religion, so you religious folks do not have the sole claim to it!
Likes the Facts
1:22 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Actually, I have spoken with Senator Dillard on this very topic and I found him to be very enlightened and open-minded.
Wash Woman
1:22 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
The concept of equal protection under the law is enshrined in the Constitution. While religious faiths are free to discriminate between same-sex and opposite-sex marriages, according to their beliefs, the government may not. This is a matter of discrimination against a particular group, plain and simple. It is not about religion.
Dave
3:43 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
No matter how you define marriage, there will be "discrimination" against certain categories of people. If same-sex marriage is authorized by the legislature and signed into law by the governor (which appears to be inevitable), the law still will "discriminate" against those who, for whatever reason, want to enter into a 3-person marriage (or more). So the law still will discriminate against a man who wants to marry two women, or a woman who wants to marry a woman and a man, etc. Is that still an unacceptable form of discrimination? If not, why not?
Melissa D
2:21 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Thank you for your intelligence and logic. I am so tired of people inserting religion into government. Marriage does not "belong" to religion. In fact, different religions have treated marriage differently for thousands of years. But people of any given religion think that THEIR way is the only right way, and think they have a particular claim on what marriage is and is not. If the government would eliminate the special benefits and rights given to married couples, it would do much to reduce the discrimination against this group of people. But I don't see that happening any time soon
Jim R
2:53 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Everyone has the right to marry which is joining man and woman. Survival of our species relies on joining man and woman. You may argue this religiously, biologically, physiologically, and anthroplogically. The homosexual political campaign has only lead many to confusion.
Jim R
2:56 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
The sooner Quinn is kicked out of office, the better Illinois will be. As an individual who cannot even follow fundamental teachings of his Church, why should you trust him for anything,
ExposeM
3:29 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Another victory for the blood-sucking lawyers - now they'll have more divorce clients to make money from. That's what this is really about.
Jim Beaumont
11:15 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
What a waste of our goverments time. We are debating this issue while our schools are in trouble, jobs are leaving our state, and children with no father are shooting each other. This may be an issue but not now. This will pass because it will buy a few votes. Face it if this was put to a vote it would loose miserably.
Jim Beaumont
11:22 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Jim R made a good point. Govenor Quinn is going against the beliefs of the community, schools, heritage and religion he was raised in.
Independence666
9:43 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
The country is on its way down the tubes anyway. Who cares if homosexuals choose to marry one another? Sure it's deviant behavior, but it's not costing the rest of us anything $$$$$. "Homosexual marriage" is nothing but a distraction from what is really important. While Obama and his clueless crew are taxing and spending us into oblivion, most people are looking the other way. We should be working to defeat the Obama regime, not worrying about whether two homosexuals should have a right to marry each other.