The Chicago Tribune has an editorial today about the freedom to marry for all Illinois couples. In light of the recent New Jersey court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, and on the heels of the death of DOMA, The Chicago Tribune is urging Illinois legislators to call the bill for a vote in the General Assembly.

It's time for a vote. It's time to get lawmakers on record.
Independent polls consistently show more than half of Americans support allowing same-sex couples to marry. That's the law in 14 states. The shift in favor is clear, and the trend seems inevitable: 70 percent of people under the age of 30 support gay marriage.

Under legislative rules, the bill in the House would require a supermajority, 71 votes, to pass and be effective immediately. There is another course: Amend the bill so it takes effect in mid-2014, which would require a simple majority of 60 votes and another roll call in the Senate.

Read the entire article.

The State Journal-Register posted an editorial urging the Illinois State House of Representatives to pass the marriage bill during veto session, which starts this week.  The article makes clear the distinction between a civil union and a marriage and how the civil union law does not provide the same protections that marriage would.

Illinois’ civil union law, which many view as a progressive victory, was a good step in the right direction when it went into effect in June 2011.

But the law fails to give same-sex couples equal rights and actually subjects them to any number of social and legal indignities every day. They find themselves in limbo — recognized as partners, but not as spouses with legal standing in the event of emergencies; acknowledged as two people in a committed relationship, but unable to identify themselves as married.

Read the entire article.

The Daily Herald published an editorial today, expressing support for the bill that would grant the freedom to marry to same-sex couples throughout Illinois. The bill is poised to be called during veto session.

This is not a new position for this newspaper. We wrote of our support of gay marriage in July 2012, believing then as now that "unless gay couples are allowed to marry, they always will be relegated to second-class citizenship, and that is not right."

A year and half later, we're still waiting for the Illinois House to agree. Or disagree. The chief sponsor of the bill said in May that many of his colleagues said they needed the summer to talk to their constituents and mull it over. We trust they did their homework and are ready to take a stand.

Read the rest.