Gay marriage foes seek Nov. vote
Gay marriage foes seek Nov. vote
May 9, 2006
BY TRACY SWARTZ Sun-Times Springfield bureau
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
SPRINGFIELD -- Voters may get a chance in November to urge the Legislature for a constitutional amendment to recognize marriage between a man and a woman as the only legal union in Illinois.
Protect Marriage Illinois, a coalition of conservative family groups, submitted 345,199 signatures Monday to the state Board of Elections so a nonbinding, advisory referendum could be placed on the ballot.
"We don't believe government should be protecting unhealthy lifestyles," said David Smith, the coalition's project director and senior policy analyst for the Illinois Family Institute. "This is truly the people's initiative."
Only 283,111 signatures of registered voters are needed for the referendum to be voted on in the fall. But election authorities still have to check the validity of the 65,000 pages of signatures submitted Monday. The Board of Elections will rule on the matter next month.
"They have a long way to go before they get on the ballot in November," said Rick Garcia, public policy director for the gay advocacy group Equality Illinois.
Illinois already does not recognize same-sex marriages, but Smith fears that a court could change that. Massachusetts justices ruled in 2003 that marriage could not constitutionally be denied to same-sex couples.
Illinois' referendum would not mandate a constitutional amendment, just urge state lawmakers to make such a change.
The last advisory referendum to appear on the ballot was nearly 30 years ago. That proposal favored putting caps on spending and taxes, though it was generally ignored by lawmakers, said Kent Redfield, a political studies professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
"[The advisory referendum] is very symbolic," Redfield said. "It's just pure position-taking."
Signatures collected at church
Redfield said the same-sex marriage issue may boost the number of social conservatives at the polls in November, thus helping Downstate conservative candidates, Republicans vying for seats in the Legislature and state Sen. James Meeks if he decides to make a third-party run for governor.
About 4,300 signatures for the referendum were collected at Salem Baptist Church, where Meeks is pastor.
"If Sen. Meeks runs and wants to emphasize the social conservatism as kind of his hook, then it may turn out that Sen. Meeks would help the proposition and the proposition would help Sen. Meeks," Redfield said.
But Redfield doesn't expect the referendum to be a hot-button issue between Gov. Blagojevich and GOP gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka.
Topinka opposes the amendment because state law already says marriage is between a man and a woman, said campaign spokesman Dave Loveday. But Topinka supports civil unions.
Meanwhile, Blagojevich on Monday extended health benefits for domestic partners to non-union senior staff state employees under his control. About 95 of these employees are expected to choose to enroll their partners.
"It's a good day for Illinois," Garcia said. "This is not only about fairness and what is right, it will also help build strong families in Illinois."
tswartz@suntimes.com
May 9, 2006
BY TRACY SWARTZ Sun-Times Springfield bureau
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
SPRINGFIELD -- Voters may get a chance in November to urge the Legislature for a constitutional amendment to recognize marriage between a man and a woman as the only legal union in Illinois.
Protect Marriage Illinois, a coalition of conservative family groups, submitted 345,199 signatures Monday to the state Board of Elections so a nonbinding, advisory referendum could be placed on the ballot.
"We don't believe government should be protecting unhealthy lifestyles," said David Smith, the coalition's project director and senior policy analyst for the Illinois Family Institute. "This is truly the people's initiative."
Only 283,111 signatures of registered voters are needed for the referendum to be voted on in the fall. But election authorities still have to check the validity of the 65,000 pages of signatures submitted Monday. The Board of Elections will rule on the matter next month.
"They have a long way to go before they get on the ballot in November," said Rick Garcia, public policy director for the gay advocacy group Equality Illinois.
Illinois already does not recognize same-sex marriages, but Smith fears that a court could change that. Massachusetts justices ruled in 2003 that marriage could not constitutionally be denied to same-sex couples.
Illinois' referendum would not mandate a constitutional amendment, just urge state lawmakers to make such a change.
The last advisory referendum to appear on the ballot was nearly 30 years ago. That proposal favored putting caps on spending and taxes, though it was generally ignored by lawmakers, said Kent Redfield, a political studies professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
"[The advisory referendum] is very symbolic," Redfield said. "It's just pure position-taking."
Signatures collected at church
Redfield said the same-sex marriage issue may boost the number of social conservatives at the polls in November, thus helping Downstate conservative candidates, Republicans vying for seats in the Legislature and state Sen. James Meeks if he decides to make a third-party run for governor.
About 4,300 signatures for the referendum were collected at Salem Baptist Church, where Meeks is pastor.
"If Sen. Meeks runs and wants to emphasize the social conservatism as kind of his hook, then it may turn out that Sen. Meeks would help the proposition and the proposition would help Sen. Meeks," Redfield said.
But Redfield doesn't expect the referendum to be a hot-button issue between Gov. Blagojevich and GOP gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka.
Topinka opposes the amendment because state law already says marriage is between a man and a woman, said campaign spokesman Dave Loveday. But Topinka supports civil unions.
Meanwhile, Blagojevich on Monday extended health benefits for domestic partners to non-union senior staff state employees under his control. About 95 of these employees are expected to choose to enroll their partners.
"It's a good day for Illinois," Garcia said. "This is not only about fairness and what is right, it will also help build strong families in Illinois."
tswartz@suntimes.com
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