The Associated Press is reporting that Illinois lawmakers failed to garner the necessary 60 votes to bring a same-sex marriage vote to the floor before the Legislature adjourned on Friday. Although both houses have liberal majorities, lawmakers were reluctant to vote in favor of the bill without having more time to gauge constituent's support.
Even the president weighed in on the matter while attending a fundraising event in Chicago a few days before the anticipated vote.
"Here in Illinois, we've got a vote on same-sex marriage that's going to be coming up in the state Legislature," Obama said. "And I just want to say for the record it's something that I deeply support."
The most vocal opponents of the law were the Catholic Church and a few prominent pastors of several large black churches in the Chicago area.
The bill included an amendment that would exempt churches from having to perform the unions, and also provided them with immunity from being sued if they refuse to provide their facilities for same-sex marriages.
As a result, there simply were not enough votes to bring the matter to the floor, leaving the bill to be taken up again in the fall.
"I've never been sadder to accept such a request, but I have to keep my eye, as we all must, on the ultimate prize," said the bill's sponsor, Democratic Rep. Greg Harris, after failing to bring the vote to the floor. "They've asked for time to go back to their districts, talk to their constituents, and reach out to their minds and hearts."
When he made the announcement that there would be no vote, gay marriage supporters who had packed the House gallery angrily shouted: "Call the vote! Call the vote!" "Shame!"
The Catholic Conference of Illinois applauded the decision and commended lawmakers who "listened to their constituents and declined to consider legislation that would redefine marriage in Illinois."
Had the bill passed, Illinois would have become the 13th U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage.
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