Friday, June 01, 2007

Civil unions not on agenda

Civil unions not on agenda
By Amber Ellis aellis@dailyherald.com
Copyright by The Daily Herald
Friday, June 01, 2007

SPRINGFIELD — A proposal to give same-sex civil unions the same protections as civil marriages will likely be put on hold.

With other more pressing issues undecided as the legislative session drew toward a close Thursday night, state Rep. Greg Harris says he doesn’t want to risk killing his plan by setting it up for a vote without enough support.

“It’s not the first thing on people’s minds right now. They want to talk about the budget, taxes, and it’s understandable that this is sort of taking a backseat…,” said Harris, a Chicago Democrat and the legislature’s only openly gay member.

The best bet would be to get at least 65 state representatives — five more than needed — to commit before calling the plan for a House vote, supporters say. Otherwise, they could risk having it voted down altogether.

Right now, gay rights activists don’t have those numbers. They won’t say how close they are, but it’s clear they’re not confident in all of their “yes” votes.

The plan would have thrust Illinois into the national debate over whether gay and lesbian partners should have the same rights as heterosexual spouses. The plan would extend a number of benefits to same-sex couples, including the ability to make decisions about children, health care, end-of-life treatment and survivor benefits.

Massachusetts is the only state that recognizes same-sex marriages. Connecticut, Vermont, California, Washington and New Jersey offer civil unions or domestic partnerships to gay couples. Oregon and New Hampshire will join the list next year. In Illinois, Cook County, Oak Park and Urbana allow couples to sign partnership registries, but their signatures don’t guarantee benefits.

Earlier this year, Harris proposed legalizing gay marriage but ditched the effort amid a backlash from people who did not want to redefine marriage.

Critics say their beliefs will be compromised if churches are forced to recognize civil unions and faith-based adoption agencies have to place children with same-sex couples.

“Lawmakers realize that their constituency is not going to accept this,” said David Smith, director of the Illinois Family Institute.

In Illinois, a handful of gay rights measures have become law. But each proposal has taken patience and education from advocates, said Rick Garcia, public policy director for Equality Illinois.

“The question is no longer if same-sex relationships will be recognized in Illinois. The question is when,” he said.

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