The State Senate voted on the Gay Marriage bill today and, as all the media was predicting, it passed.

The vote was 34-21-2

State Senators Pam Althoff, Dan Duffy and Karen McConnaughay.

All represent parts of McHenry County.

The Illinois Family Institute had been lobbying via email for people to contact Althoff.

A robo call arrived this afternoon asking people to attend a rally in Springfield on Tuesday on the issue.

Here is how David Smith of IFI described what happened:

Thirty-four state senators in the Illinois Senate cave in to pressure from the homosexual lobby.
Despite an outpouring of calls, emails and faxes against redefining marriage and family, lawmakers in the Illinois Senate passed SB 10 on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 34 to 21 with 2 voting present.

Five pro-family lawmakers, Senators Tim Bivins (R-Dixon), Dan Duffy (R-Barrington), William Haine (D-Alton), Dale Righter (R-Mattoon), and Kyle McCarter (R-Vandalia), had the courage to challenge this anti-family legislation on the Senate floor during debate while seven Democratic lawmakers  made emotional manipulative appeals for the bill’s passage.  Surprisingly, Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) was the only Republican to speak in favor of this anti-family legislation.

IMPORTANT:  This bill now moves over to the Illinois House where it is short the votes necessary to pass.  

This is why our Defend Marriage Lobby Day on February 20th is so important! If we hope to defeat this bill in the Illinois House and maintain a sufficient level of opposition to this proposal, we must have a strong showing next week.  Read more about this lobby day HERE.  We need you to show up and send a clear message to state lawmakers in the Illinois House that Illinoisans will NOT allow marriage to be destroyed!  We can stop this!

The Senate roll call on Senate Bill 10 is below:

Here is the transcript of what State Senator Dan Duffy said on the Senate floor:

Question for the Sponsor:

Dan Duffy

I understand this bill has been amended and modified but I would like to clarify a very important point.

When the bill was originally drafted, it basically stated that any church or religious organization which receives any state funding – would be subject or mandated to perform Same Sex marriages – even if it was contrary to the beliefs of that specific religion or even if the church did not want to perform those ceremonies.

In any way, does this current bill mandate that any church or religious organization be forced – by the state – to perform same sex marriages – even if they receive money from the state or are associated with a state program?

Will this bill, in any way, require Religious organizations or churches to RENT OUT their facilities to those who disagree with their specific religious doctrine?

To the Bill:

I think it is very telling and scary to me the way the bill was drafted and debated in committees. This bill originally ignored the constitution and trampled on our religious liberties. Even though wording was eventually tweaked to garner additional votes – I know the way Springfield works and I am concerned this bill – once passed – will be amended in the future. The supermajority will then use their power again to change the wording back to the original version.

Civil Unions is already Law in Illinois. When discussing and debating the civil union’s bill, the sponsor and other supporters promised they would not pursue a Marriage bill if the Civil Unions bill passed since it addressed all their concerns and gave gay couples all the same legal rights as any other married couple. What happened to those promises? Why have you now brushed those promises aside and pursued this Marriage bill?

The Majority party has once again shown their awesome power in Springfield. You have the power to set the agenda and for the past several months we have focused on this Same Sex Marriage Bill. You have relentlessly pursued it and have worked every detail – EVEN picking Saint Valentine’s Day to vote on the legislation. You have certainly shown how quickly you can move important legislation.

However this bill is NOT our top priority.

Our STATE is falling into a Financial ABYSS. While working on this Marriage bill, our bond rating has hit an all time LOW. Our Pension debt is exceeding 96 Billion dollars and we are adding about $700K dollars in new debt and interest payments, ONTO our pension obligation, EVERY HOUR! Our unpaid bills are compiling – exceeding 9 Billion dollars putting small business owners – who provided services to the state – out of business. Our states most needy organizations – who are supporting citizens with services that will make the difference between LIFE or DEATH – are going without money and turning away people who are depending on the state for survival. Our State has become a punch line for late night comedians and companies are not looking at ways to expand here – they are instead looking for the right time to FLEE this state.

You have the SUPERMAJORITY. You can pass any bill any time you want and YOU set the agenda. How have you managed this immense responsibility? You have spent months – while the Illinois ship is sinking – focused on a Same Sex Marriage bill?

How is this bill going to bring jobs back to Illinois? How is this bill going to stop the exodus of Illinois residents to all surrounding states? How is this bill going to guarantee our hard working teachers THAT you are not going to raid their pension funds? How is this bill going to protect our most needy citizens in this state?

The Pension Debt must be our NUMBER ONE FOCUS!

You should be taking this same energy and use your immense power to present a pension reform bill IMMEDIATELY!

The Civil Unions Bill has already passed in Illinois giving gay couples ALL the same legal rights as every married couple. This Marriage bill is a distraction which is diverting attention away for the state’s TOP PRIORITIES.

Let’s move past this bill and get to work solving our FINANCIAL CRISIS!

Thank You

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For what happened November 5, 2013, when the bill passed, click here.