Illinois: No marriage equality vote today

Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda, confirmed that Senate Democrats have stated that the vote will not come to pass Jan. 3 or 4. Repeated foibles have raised serious questions about whether the vote can pass by Jan. 9, when new lawmakers are sworn in.

Senate Democrats had hoped for a vote on Thursday, but they failed to secure the votes to waive a 24-hour rule on the posting of the original marriage bill. Democrats then tacked marriage equality onto an unrelated bill in an attempt to push it through faster.

But two supportive senators have been called away from Springfield on family emergencies, leaving sponsors scrambling to secure needed votes.

“It doesn’t mean that the whole marriage equality bill in the lame duck session dies,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois.

However, a big push remains for supportive senators. The Senate will have to be called back for a special session on Jan. 8 if they are take up marriage equality before Jan. 9. That would mean that the House will be voting on marriage before the Senate takes it up.