CIVIL UNION BILL PASSES ILLINOIS HOUSE COMMITTEE!

Quoted directly from an Equality Illinois announcement.

CIVIL UNION BILL PASSES ILLINOIS HOUSE COMMITTEE!
Please Thank Our Yes Votes

An Illinois House committee passed a bill today (March 21) that would extend legal recognition and many of the benefits of civil marriage to same sex couples.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act (HB1826) passed the Illinois House Human Services Committee with a vote of 5-4 today. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

HB1826 guarantees many of the rights and responsibilities to persons in civil unions that are currently granted to persons in civil marriages. Among those rights are the ability to participate in healthcare visitation and decision making for one’s partner, survivor benefits and the right to make disposition decisions about deceased partner’s remains.

The bill also affirms religious institutions’ right not to recognize such unions or to solemnize a civil union.

“While this bill does not provide for recognition of same-sex marriages in the State of Illinois, it does give gay couples legal recognition and many of the same benefits and responsibilities of marriage,” said Rick Garcia, political director of Equality Illinois. “It is a step in the right direction for full equality in Illinois.”

Please contact the sponsor Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago) and thank him for his sponsorship:
Email: greg@gregharris.org
Phone: 217-782-3835 Fax: 217-557-6470

Also, please contact the following Human Services Committee members who voted for this bill:

Representative Naomi Jakobsson (D-Champaign)
Email: naomi@naomijakobsson.com
Phone: 217-558-1009 Fax: 217-557-7680

Representative Constance Howard (D-Chicago)
Email: staterep-constance-a-howard@comcast.net
Phone: 217-782-6476 Fax: 217-782-0952

Representative Annazette Collins (D-Chicago)
Email: annazettec@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 217-782-8077 Fax: 217-557-7643

Representative Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview)
Email: coulson@earthlink.net
Phone: 217-782-4194 Fax: 217-782-7613

Representative Al Riley (D-Matteson)
Email: rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 217-558-1007 Fax: 217-557-1664