No Illinois Vote On Marriage This Week

The Windy City Times reports:

Senate Democrats had hoped for a vote on Thursday, but they failed to secure the votes to waive a 24-hour rule on the posting of the original marriage bill. Democrats then tacked marriage equality onto an unrelated bill in an attempt to push it through faster. But two supportive senators have been called away from Springfield on family emergencies, leaving sponsors scrambling to secure needed votes.

LGBT leaders and lawmakers declined to name the two missing senators. Also missing is Evanston Democrat Jeffrey Shoenberg who is reportedly on vacation for the remainder of his term. "It doesn't mean that the whole marriage equality bill in the lame duck session dies," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. However, a big push remains for supportive senators. The Senate will have to be called back for a special session on Jan. 8 if they are take up marriage equality before Jan. 9. That would mean that the House will be voting on marriage before the Senate takes it up.

If the bill does not pass in the lame duck session, many are convinced that it will when the new Democratic super-majorities are seated for the next session.