In a landmark 32 to 24 vote, legislation recognizing civil unions among gay and lesbian couples passed the Illinois Senate Wednesday afternoon. The bill now heads to Gov. Quinn, who has pledged to sign it.
Once enacted, Illinois would become just the sixth state to recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships.
The Senate’s vote followed House approval Tuesday and came despite criticisms over the measure’s potential cost to taxpayers, the likelihood it would lead to legalization of gay marriages and concern that it had trumped fixing the state’s budget ills among legislative priorities.
“I have a gay daughter,” said state Sen. David Koehler (R-Peoria), the bill’s chief Senate sponsor, whose child, Maggie, was in the Senate gallery with her partner. “I’ve seen this issue through the eyes of a father who has a gay child. What it means is I have one daughter amongst my three who doesn’t have the same rights as the other two, and I don’t understand that.” More.