Poll: Illinoisans oppose rewriting constitution to ban gay marriage
Poll: Illinoisans oppose rewriting constitution to ban gay marriage
By DEANNA BELLANDI
Copyright © 2006, The Associated Press
Published June 14, 2006, 4:20 PM CDT
CHICAGO -- Illinoisans don't want the state or U.S. constitutions rewritten to ban gay marriage, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
While the majority of Illinois voters -- 51 percent -- said they oppose gay marriage, only 40 percent support asking state lawmakers for a constitutional amendment to ban it, according to a poll by the Chicago-based Glengariff Group. Fifty percent were opposed and 10 percent were undecided.
There is less support for amending the U.S. Constitution with 62 percent opposed, the poll showed.
Gay marriage opponents hope to get a measure on the Illinois ballot this November that would ask voters if the state should amend its constitution. Backers of a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution plan to bring one before the House next month although the Senate already has rejected it.
"Illinoisans may not support recognition of same-sex marriages but they don't want to be mean about it," said Rick Garcia, political director for the gay rights group Equality Illinois.
An Illinois referendum has support in southern Illinois and in the west and northwest parts of the state, but it's unpopular in central Illinois, Chicago and the areas around Chicago, the poll showed.
More than 40 states have taken steps to define marriage so as to ban same-sex marriage either through constitutional amendments or with statutes. A 1996 Illinois law already prohibits same-sex marriage, but opponents fear that law could be overturned by the courts unless the Illinois Constitution is changed.
The telephone poll of 600 registered Illinois voters was not commissioned by any group although the company did a similar one for Garcia's organization last year and used it to compare the most recent results, according to Glengariff president Richard Czuba, who also has worked in Republican politics.
Czuba's most recent poll was conducted June 1-3 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
Peter LaBarbera, executive director of a conservative group pushing to get the gay marriage advisory referendum on the Illinois ballot, said he's confident of the measure's success.
"Absolutely, I think it'll pass," LaBarbera said.
Gay marriage opponents need 283,111 valid signatures to get the measure on the ballot, and they have submitted more than 345,000 signatures. Opponents of the measure are checking the petitions in an effort to keep it off.
But actually amending the state constitution is a much more lengthy process. The most common approach would be for both chambers of the Legislature to vote by three-fifths majority to put an amendment on the ballot, where it would have to be approved by three-fifths of voters.
Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his Republican opponent in November, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, both say a constitutional amendment is unnecessary because of the 1996 Illinois law.
LaBarbera questioned the survey results because the question about the Illinois referendum paraphrases its wording. He also said political correctness also is at play when people answer poll questions but it's not there in the voting booth.
The poll of Illinois voters seems in line with a recent national poll by ABC News. More than half of Americans thought same-sex marriage should be illegal, but only four in 10 supported amending the Constitution to ban them, according to the June 5 poll.
The Illinois poll also tested voters' appetite on other gay rights issues, including civil unions. Fifty percent of people supported such unions that would give gay couples the legal benefits of marriage without calling it marriage.
There was 50 percent or more support on other issues, including adoption, inheritance rights and health benefits.
By DEANNA BELLANDI
Copyright © 2006, The Associated Press
Published June 14, 2006, 4:20 PM CDT
CHICAGO -- Illinoisans don't want the state or U.S. constitutions rewritten to ban gay marriage, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
While the majority of Illinois voters -- 51 percent -- said they oppose gay marriage, only 40 percent support asking state lawmakers for a constitutional amendment to ban it, according to a poll by the Chicago-based Glengariff Group. Fifty percent were opposed and 10 percent were undecided.
There is less support for amending the U.S. Constitution with 62 percent opposed, the poll showed.
Gay marriage opponents hope to get a measure on the Illinois ballot this November that would ask voters if the state should amend its constitution. Backers of a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution plan to bring one before the House next month although the Senate already has rejected it.
"Illinoisans may not support recognition of same-sex marriages but they don't want to be mean about it," said Rick Garcia, political director for the gay rights group Equality Illinois.
An Illinois referendum has support in southern Illinois and in the west and northwest parts of the state, but it's unpopular in central Illinois, Chicago and the areas around Chicago, the poll showed.
More than 40 states have taken steps to define marriage so as to ban same-sex marriage either through constitutional amendments or with statutes. A 1996 Illinois law already prohibits same-sex marriage, but opponents fear that law could be overturned by the courts unless the Illinois Constitution is changed.
The telephone poll of 600 registered Illinois voters was not commissioned by any group although the company did a similar one for Garcia's organization last year and used it to compare the most recent results, according to Glengariff president Richard Czuba, who also has worked in Republican politics.
Czuba's most recent poll was conducted June 1-3 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
Peter LaBarbera, executive director of a conservative group pushing to get the gay marriage advisory referendum on the Illinois ballot, said he's confident of the measure's success.
"Absolutely, I think it'll pass," LaBarbera said.
Gay marriage opponents need 283,111 valid signatures to get the measure on the ballot, and they have submitted more than 345,000 signatures. Opponents of the measure are checking the petitions in an effort to keep it off.
But actually amending the state constitution is a much more lengthy process. The most common approach would be for both chambers of the Legislature to vote by three-fifths majority to put an amendment on the ballot, where it would have to be approved by three-fifths of voters.
Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his Republican opponent in November, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, both say a constitutional amendment is unnecessary because of the 1996 Illinois law.
LaBarbera questioned the survey results because the question about the Illinois referendum paraphrases its wording. He also said political correctness also is at play when people answer poll questions but it's not there in the voting booth.
The poll of Illinois voters seems in line with a recent national poll by ABC News. More than half of Americans thought same-sex marriage should be illegal, but only four in 10 supported amending the Constitution to ban them, according to the June 5 poll.
The Illinois poll also tested voters' appetite on other gay rights issues, including civil unions. Fifty percent of people supported such unions that would give gay couples the legal benefits of marriage without calling it marriage.
There was 50 percent or more support on other issues, including adoption, inheritance rights and health benefits.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 6:37 PM
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