The Illinois Senate is expected to vote
on a gay marriage bill on Thursday.
The move comes a little more than a
week after the measure cleared the 15-member Senate Executive
Committee.
Last month, Illinois Senate President
John Cullerton, a Democrat from Chicago and an Executive Committee
member, set off bells when he said he wanted to approve the bill in
his chamber on Valentine's Day.
“I'd like to pass it … on
Valentine's Day,” Cullerton told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Cullerton added that he believes the
measure has the necessary 30 votes to clear the Senate and move to
the House.
Sponsors of the bill, Senator Heather
Steans and Rep. Greg Harris, both Democrats from Chicago, first
pushed for passage in January during a lame-duck session of the
General Assembly.
Steans has said that the push failed
due to time.
Neither chamber has previously voted on
marriage equality. However, Illinois approved a civil unions bill
two years ago.
Democratic Governor Pat Quinn mentioned
the proposed legislation during his State of the State address.
“Marriage equality is coming to
Illinois,” he told colleagues.
If the marriage bill is approved,
Illinois would join 9 other states and the District of Columbia.