Civil unions to be voted on in Illinois House
- Mar 30, 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinoisans might soon see civil unions for homosexuals become a reality in the state. On March 21, the Illinois House Human Rights Committee passed House Bill 1826 which would create a statute that while separate from the state’s marriage law, would allow homosexuals the same basic rights as married heterosexual couples. It will now go to the full House for a vote.
Commenting on the bill, David Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, said, “There is very little difference in this bill between civil unions and marriage other than the names. It basically copies rules for marriage and dissolutions. While they’re not calling it gay marriage, it is a gay marriage bill.”
The bill, which passed with a 5-4 vote, is sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris, a Democrat from Chicago and an open homosexual, who has previously introduced legislation to permit gay marriages in the state.
The bill would not force pastors and other members of the clergy to perform civil unions. However, Smith cautioned, the bill could still directly affect churches and other religious organizations if it passes. He gave the example, “If a church janitor decides he’s gay, has a civil union, and wants the same benefits the church provides other married couples and is denied; he could file a lawsuit and might win.” This would be possible because the government would not consider the job of a janitor a ministerial role in the church, so the church would not be protected legally.
Smith also noted a result of legalized civil unions in Massachusetts on religious organizations with adoption services. “Catholic Charities has stopped doing adoptions because they have been forced to allow homosexuals in civil unions to adopt,” he said.
Other proposed legislation:
Other bills introduced by the House and Senate during this session which could negatively affect churches and families include:
- HB 138 and 139 promote funding for human embryonic stem cell and cloning research.
- HB 115 requires sixth grade girls to receive the vaccine for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
- HB 480 provides more gaming tables for gambling on riverboats and slot machines for race tracks. It also makes it possible for casinos to be built in Chicago, Waukegan and the area around O’Hare.
- SB 650 legalizes medical marijuana.
- SB 715 creates school health centers in 20 locations for the distribution of contraceptives and abortion referrals.
Pro-family bills include:
- HB 1727 requires libraries to block pornography on their public computers.
- HB 642 promotes banking human stem cells from umbilical cords for research.
House representatives have until April 27 and Senators have until April 30 to vote on bills presented during this legislative session.
To learn more about these bills and to find out how to contact your local representative, go to the Illinois Family Institute’s website or the Illinois General Assembly’s website.
This article is reprinted from the March 30, 2007, issue of The Illinois Baptist, the newspaper of the Illinois Baptist State Association.
Further Learning
Learn more about: Family, Sexual Purity, Homosexuality, Citizenship, Human Rights, Legislation