Redefined marriage is not a done deal in Illinois! This news is a good reminder that all of our hard work is required to protect marriage:
A bid to legalize gay marriage in Illinois suffered an unexpected setback Wednesday when supporters fell two votes shy of getting the legislative hearing they wanted, meaning no Senate vote on the measure until Thursday at the earliest.
The 28-24 procedural vote showed the razor-thin margins surrounding the contentious issue and clearly caught backers off-guard, thwarting their plan to advance the measure to the Senate floor Wednesday night.
"It's a little bit too soon to conclude it was a fatal blow," said Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago).
Late Wednesday, Phelon said the measure would be voted on by the Senate Executive Committee early Thursday.
Earlier in the day, supporters moved to waive a six-day waiting period set out in Senate rules to get the measure heard in committee Wednesday night, but key absences among Democratic supporters and unified GOP opposition torpedoed the effort. -- Chicago Sun Times
