[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-senate-to-celebrate-valentines-day-with-marriage-equality-vote\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-senate-to-celebrate-valentines-day-with-marriage-equality-vote\/","headline":"Illinois Senate to Celebrate Valentine\u2019s Day with Marriage Equality Vote","name":"Illinois Senate to Celebrate Valentine\u2019s Day with Marriage Equality Vote","description":"By Brittny Drye Lawmakers in Illinois are hoping to pass the marriage equality bill on February 14, fittingly on Valentine\u2019s Day. After throwing in the...","datePublished":"2013-02-01","dateModified":"2021-06-30","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/illinois-senate-president-john-cullerton-marriage-equality.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/illinois-senate-president-john-cullerton-marriage-equality.jpg","height":180,"width":300},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-senate-to-celebrate-valentines-day-with-marriage-equality-vote\/","about":["Marriage Equality News"],"wordCount":303,"articleBody":"By Brittny DryeLawmakers in Illinois are hoping to pass the marriage equality bill on February 14, fittingly on Valentine\u2019s Day.After throwing in the towel during January\u2019s lame-duck session, Illinois activists are once again pushing for passage of the marriage equality bill. According to Senate President John Cullerton, \u201cI\u2019d like to pass it out of committee next week and pass it on Valentine\u2019s Day.\u201dThe legislation needs 30 votes to pass and move to the House in order for Illinois to become the tenth state to recognize same-sex marriage, a feat that Cullerton believes is doable.In order to appease religious organizations, bill sponsors Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Greg Harris have been tweaking the language that caused the legislation to stall in January after a Senate Executive Committee approved.Rick Garcia, who leads the Equal Marriage Illinois Project, said he is  feeling confident about the impending vote. \u201cI think the Senate president and the Senate sponsor are very  confident,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cI\u2019ve known [Cullerton] for a 100 years and he  has passed more legislation that has been signed into law than\u2014I think\u2014any other legislator in Springfield. He knows his business and knows  how to get the job done.\u201dGarcia is urging Illinois citizens to reach out to their local lawmakers and make their voices heard. \u201cIf people think it\u2019s going to be done by hotshot lobbyists, they are  wrong. It gets done because they pick up the phone, they open up their  laptop, they call, write, text their legislators. That\u2019s how it gets  done,\u201d he said.Here’s to hoping that on Valentine’s Day, lovers in Illinois will certainly have something to celebrate.\u201cI could not even think of a better day to do it,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cSometimes the planets align.\u201d\u00a0Photo: ilga.gov"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Illinois Senate to Celebrate Valentine\u2019s Day with Marriage Equality Vote","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-senate-to-celebrate-valentines-day-with-marriage-equality-vote\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]