Illinois State Senator Bill Brady, the
GOP gubernatorial font-runner for the Illinois governor's mansion,
said Wednesday he supports amending the state's constitution to
define marriage as a heterosexual union, the Chicago
Sun-Times reported.
Such an amendment would effectively ban
gay marriage. It also blocks the state's top court from legalizing
the institution.
“I'm trying to give the government
back to the people,” Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, answered
when asked about his positions on gay marriage, taxes and term
limits.
Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard,
Brady's opponent in the contest to win the GOP nomination, has not
announced he supports a constitutional amendment, but has said he
opposes recognizing gay couples with civil unions or marriage.
The Illinois Legislature has come close
to approving gay marriage during recent sessions.