A bill to legalize marriage between two adults of the same sex was introduced Thursday in the Illinois Senate by State Senator Heather Steans. This marks the first time such a bill has been up for consideration in the Senate.
SB2468, known as the Equal Marriage Act, would provide for state recognition of same-sex marriage, while ensuring that religious institutions are not required to perform any marriages that are inconsistent with their religious practices. This is a companion bill to HB178 which was introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives by Representative Greg Harris and co-sponsored by Representatives Deborah Mell, Sara Feigenholtz, Constance Howard, Harry Osterman, and John Fritchey.