For Immediate Release, March 5, 2009
Contact: Rick Garcia, 312-560-0405
CIVIL UNION BILL PASSES ILLINOIS HOUSE COMMITTEE
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- An Illinois House committee passed a bill today that would extend legal recognition and many of the benefits limited to married couples to same sex couples.
The Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act (HB2234) passed the Youth and Family Committee with a vote on Thursday, March 5. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
“We are gratified that the members of the committee understand the importance of recognizing and extending legal protections to Illinois same-sex couples and their families,” said Rick Garcia, director of public policy, Equality Illinois. “These couples make our communities stronger and deserve to have the same protections and benefits as their heterosexual counterparts.”
The bill guarantees some of the rights and responsibilities to persons in civil unions that are currently granted to persons in civil marriages. Among those rights are the ability to participate in healthcare visitation and decision making for one’s partner, survivor benefits and the right to make disposition decisions about deceased partner’s remains.
The bill also re-affirms religious institutions’ right not to solemnize a civil union.
“This bill asks for no special rights, only to grant all families access to what most families now are given automatically under the law,” said Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago) the chief sponsor of the bill. “We have families in our districts in committed relationships, working hard every day, who when faced with sudden tragedy may desperately need these rights tomorrow or the next day.”
Equality Illinois lined up an impressive list of witnesses to testify before the committee.
The Reverned Suzanne Anderson-Hurdle a Lutheran pastor, mother of three and a Chaplain for her local fire and police departments gave testimony in favor of the bill.
"It seems odd to me that some who tout the idea of family values would push for the defeat of this bill. Their position is incongruent with the nation of family values and seems to lack integrity," said Pastor Suzanne. "It is both naive and ethnocentric to say that the "family" is mom, dad and children. This is not the reality for so many people -- gay or straight and it discounts the experiences of so many people in our communities.
Dr. Randy Georgemiller testified on behalf of the Illinois Psychological Association.
"Heterosexual and homosexual relationships are essentially equivalent in terms of their psychological and social functions and therefore discriminatory policies are unjustified" Georgemiller told the committee. "Government recognition of relationships affords a variety of benefits that are favorable to the couple’s physical, financial, and psychological well being. Just as for heterosexuals, a committed relationship offers a positive sense of self, self worth, and mastery, and provides some insulation from mental and physical disorders."
Gail Clodfelter of Springfield noted the protections that she and her husband have that are denied to her gay son and his partner.
If passed by the full General Assembly, Illinois will join a handful of states to recognize civil unions joining .
In Illinois, the County of Cook and the cities of Oak Park and Urbana have domestic partner registries, but the registries convey no benefits to registrants. The above jurisdictions, the State of Illinois and Chicago extend domestic partner benefits to their gay employees as do numerous Fortune 500 companies.
- 08:20 Is proctoring an exam this morning, so don't call me. Email's good, though. #
- 12:44 wonders why she has to have an appt. to go in and pick up a magnifying glass. It's not rocket science. #
- 12:48 is still absolutely floored by "Pretty Good Year" after all these years. #
- 11:09 @Annabelle_me Not even about Wurdle? #
- 11:10 @archaica Seriously? No blisters? What kind of phenomenal shoes have you been wearing? #
- 11:15 has had many beverages today. If you can't find her, check the bathroom. #
- 11:32 @Annabelle_me Tell them to send you home because you have The Apathy. #
- 11:57 feels kinda meh. Maybe it's the caffeine? Maybe she's just hungry? Maybe she should be sent home early for a nap? #
- 14:18 - 2:20 on a Friday, and I'm nearly in a food coma. Oh... #
- 15:22 @Annabelle_me Popcorn for the win! #
- 15:23 isn't sure what she can/should get done in her last half hour. #
- 08:13 is properly medicated after a stop for Prilosec, at work early, and ready to go to breakfast in 15 min. @tonjabrice Want to go with us? #
- 08:18 just stapled her sweater to a kid's accommodation letter. #
- 12:40 needs a nap. Reading retention research isn't helping. #
- 14:06 misses composition studies. #
- 15:42 Fire alarm & I helped Aimee instead of getting my coat. Brrrr. twitpic.com/1kqa5 #
- 16:21 @karlstolley I consider it daily. Was reading Cross Talk yesterday; They're updating our Gen Ed Curr. and seriously lack in comp guidance. #
- 16:43 @karlstolley Agreed! On all counts. *nods* My best to you and Nancy! Hope you're having fun...I mean getting work done! #
- 08:59 - peppermint mocha on a dreary day. #
- 09:06 wonder if anyone would want to go with her on Friday: tinyurl.com/becmju #
- 09:07 @velosnaps Agreed! Only coffee can save this day. #
- 09:13 @redeyechicago RE bus tracker for iPhone: tinyurl.com/bmjy9e #
- 10:36 can't believe how much of a hassle it has been to find a good vision place on the insurance. Geez. #
- 10:37 @Annabelle_me Stef has a gig. #
- 12:36 is annoyed that @redeyechicago didn't give CTA Tattler or the site's creator (or her) credit for pointing out the iPhone bus tracker site. #
- 12:37 is going to eat lunch then continue looking at the proposed GEC revisions. #
- 12:49 @redeyechicago Whoa! You're quick to reply! Cool. #
- 11:37 wants a big meal and a nap. #
- 11:49 @iPTIB I'd love a bus tracker app, not just a mobile site (tho this is pretty good: cta.growinglogic.com/app/#_routes) #
- 13:43 laughed a lot and lunch. #
- 13:52 wouldn't trade Yarn Lunch for anything. #
- 14:09 was fine with just looking at condos online, but now that she found one that might be do-able, she's at a loss. #
- 14:39 @velosnaps That good of a day, eh? #
- 15:17 just gave the slackers a warning... 24 hours to get the act together. #
- 15:41 is hatin' on Moodle. Every semester, she enters every ARC session by hand. So tedious! #
- 15:58 is so done with one of her students. She's so over the bullshit. #
- 16:13 can't see nothin', nothing 'round here. #
- 16:43 wants a JoAnn's coupon to appear in her inbox so she can buy some dyes. #
- 09:12 is pretending to be a grown-up today. Shhhh...don't tell. #
- 13:50 still has five more hours in this long day. Ho hum. #
- 17:33 @Annabelle_me Holy crap. #
- 18:46 @Annabelle_me Did you have the kind that goes from blue to green? I had some of that last week. Soooooo good. #
- 18:46 is thinking about heading home. #
So, back to it.
We didn't actually spend Valentine's day together. We don't really care about that stuff. We exchanged cards, and she brought me home the frosted heart sugar cookie she was given at work. That was all we needed, really. She spent the evening with a friend of hers, and I went out with two of my friends. I hate to admit it, but "He's just not that into you" was rather cute (predictable, yes).
I'm on a Relay for Life team with the Stitch'n'Bitch, and we're preparing a fundraiser. We'll be selling handmade items, including hand-dyed yarn by yours truly. I bought 16 skeins of superwash wool and borrowed a crockpot from
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
siobhankha. This doesn't do the work justice, but you can at least get a glimpse of the dyeing so far.
The bathroom has been overrun by yarn. Seven more skeins to go, plus rewinding some of it (because the tangles just got out of control for some of them).
In other news, I started tracking Weight Watchers Points online last week. I though that afternoons were my weakness, but it looks like evenings are just as bad. I blame our inconsistency with being home at dinnertime and thusly not cooking. I will be better! I will! But not this week. I have something to do every night this week: 2 nights with friends and 2 with work. Oh well. ;)
I suppose the only other interesting thing to note is that I went to Philly with Merdie. She had a job interview out in the country, and we could fly into Philly for pretty cheap. I'm not a fan. We had a helluva time finding the public transit, and when we did, it was poorly marked (talk about carrying your bag up and down stairs till you find the right platform!) with no token sales. And I didn't see one accessible vehicle. You know it's a bad sign with the tourists (some dude) are asking other tourists (us) how to get places. The small town where she interviewed was super cute, and we scored big at the outlet mall on the way back to Philly. Also? Cheesesteaks.
I'll leave you with some pics.
- 10:25 is feeling kinda meh. #
- 11:15 really wants it to be lunchtime so she can go finish her book! #
- 13:37 finished her book. Back to our regularly scheduled Friday. #
- 15:05 is going with Anne to get her iPhone! Yay! #
- 15:27 is trying to make dinner plans with Liz. Somebody remind - do I have a LFC commitment on Tues or Thurs of next week? #
- 21:35 thinks Marie is pretty damn awesome #
- 21:48 Is it too geeky to wonder what time the library opens on Sat morning? #
- 10:37 - numb mouth & a jaw that'll ache later. Heading to Evanston for food and metra. #
- 11:22 Can totally do Noodles & Co in 30 minutes. She hopes. #
- 13:09 is starting to feel kinda yucky. Lunch? The novicane? The pain that's beginning to emerge as the novicane wears off? #
- 13:54 likes that her friends cure dental pain and nausea for alcohol. :) #
- 15:22 is gladly corrupting her wife one Apple product at a time. #
- 16:40 @velosnaps That sucks. How long have you been there? At Planned Parenthood, we make everyone turn off their phones--completely off. #
- 16:41 @archaica She will be! We'll probably go tomorrow after work and get hers and do a family plan. I'll finally get mine back from her! :) #
- 10:25 is feeling kinda meh. #
- 21:43 - Anybody got a crock pot I can borrow for a week? #
- 09:17 Is waiting for the novicane to kick in so part 1 of this dental adventure can begin. #
- 10:37 - numb mouth & a jaw that'll ache later. Heading to Evanston for food and metra. #
- 11:22 Can totally do Noodles & Co in 30 minutes. She hopes. #
- 13:09 is starting to feel kinda yucky. Lunch? The novicane? The pain that's beginning to emerge as the novicane wears off? #
- 13:54 likes that her friends cure dental pain and nausea for alcohol. :) #
- 15:22 is gladly corrupting her wife one Apple product at a time. #
- 16:40 @velosnaps That sucks. How long have you been there? At Planned Parenthood, we make everyone turn off their phones--completely off. #
- 16:41 @archaica She will be! We'll probably go tomorrow after work and get hers and do a family plan. I'll finally get mine back from her! :) #
- 09:11 @Annabelle_me Short term: totally true. Long term: not enough data yet to say for sure. #
- 09:12 would rather be sitting outside reading her book. Or napping. #
- 09:50 is hungry! #
- 11:30 - If I live in a state that doesn't recognize my marriage, do I still have to be listed as "single" on my work info? Lame. C'mon, IL! #
- 13:34 @Annabelle_me It's my data in the HR database, mostly for emergency contact (according to the form). #
- 13:35 REALLY wants to go outside to play. Maybe if she had a window that opened... #
- 14:36 @archaica GAH!!!! Spoilers! #
- 15:10 @Annabelle_me Prob. tomorrow. #
- 15:12 didn't know she had an oral fixation until she became super conscious of needless snacking. Eep. Must find gum! #
- 15:45 - old George Michael is a guilty pleasure. #
- 15:46 should have been clearer: old George Michael songs are a guilty pleasure. "Careless Whisper" is currently on the ipod. #
- 16:07 is going to get supplies ready tonight for some serious amounts of dyeing yarn. #
- 16:33 @karlstolley Glad to hear he's being so productive! #
- 21:53 OMG. So much yarn to dye for our fundraiser. twitpic.com/1ffsd #
- 08:04 is reviewing the proposed GEC. #
- 09:01 - a migraine is so not how I wanted this week to start. Ugh. Excuse me while I sit in the dark and cringe. #
- 10:26 already has the shakes from the 3 cups of coffee and the 1st Excedrin Migraine. Why not take another?! #
- 11:24 - ugh. Hungry and nauseous. Quite the combo. Can't decide whether or not to bother eating lunch. #
- 15:02 is finally getting to lunch. At 3pm. She's as bad as teh wife. #
- 15:32 - lingering effects of the migraine. Can't I just throw up and get sent home early? #
- 16:37 - Bleeding Heart closed for heath code violations. Sad. tinyurl.com/c27v8o #
- 17:42 has a box of yarn in her office, waiting for her to take it home and make it colorful. Oh, if only it wasn't my late night... #
- 20:02 Is hoping she can beat the 22 to the bus stop. #
- 21:24 wishes she felt up to ironing a skirt for tomorrow. Yay heatwave. #
- 14:05 is listening to Pandora and doing some work. #
- 19:35 knows as soon as she grabs some yarn the cats will stage another love attack. Ya'd think she'd been gone for weeks, not 2.5 days! #
- 19:45 - my bro in the Chicago Tribune! YB+KS rock. tinyurl.com/cxwntk #
- 21:15 is making ringtones in GarageBand. #
- 16:04 Philly public transit sucks & people here aren't very nice. Ready to go home to Chicago. #
- 16:57 is thinking about dinner -- maybe wings and loaded fries. #
- 20:03 is glad she and Marie are the only ones in the house 'cause boy have they been howling with laughter! #
- 09:03 is trying to get Marie out the door. #
- 09:55 - 1st leg of Philly trip - We're on the red line. #
- 10:59 Made good time to midway but flight is cancelled. In line at southwest to see what's up #
- 11:31 New flight 2 hours later & we get to preboard. #
- 12:31 @dcfitzg haven't had to punch her yet, so it's good so garb ;) #
- 12:33 Waiting at the gate, stuffed with lunch from Harry's. Holy cow indeed, that was a good burger. #
- 15:56 Landed in Philly with no problems. Didn't even have to punch Marie in the face. #
- 21:15 Waiting at main st inn in kutztown fir a room. Cute little town. :) #
- 23:07 @dcfitzg You can't trust Photoshop. She's a big ol' ho. #
- 23:08 is getting ready for bed in an adorable B&B. Keep your fingers crossed for M's interview tomorrow! #
- 09:48 is starting the day with a little Dar. Not sure what the rest of the day will bring. #
- 09:49 @tonjabrice Aw, man. You've got The Death, too? *passes the excedrin and decongestant* #
- 10:10 wonders when that damn excedrin is going to kick in. Maybe she'll have another... #
- 11:45 @brigidkeely Took my 2nd excedrin of the morning with some pop and a decongestant. Yum! (Thank goodness it's working!) #
- 11:47 - 3 student appts done, trip from airport to rental car place mapped, time for stitch'n'bitch! #
- 13:22 @brigidkeely I refuse to take sudafed, so I'm stuck with double the pills for half the results. :P #
- 13:22 - chicken soup with rice and tomatoes! And listening to Catie Curtis! My office wins right now. #
- 14:29 - "Hush" just came on. Damn, Catie Curtis. Good song! #
- 14:42 really needs to get around to a blog entry sometime soon. #
- 15:15 - pineapple cup! #
- 16:19 @Annabelle_me As long as the roads are okay for Heinous's drive. Otherwise, neither of us are going anywhere... #
- 16:19 - 2 sets of letters and the Metra are all that stand between me and last week's BSG. #
- 16:58 - letters all done! Going home soon for BSG with Holly and garmozz bread from the Heinous. This'll be a good night. #
- 17:37 - Omar would "rather be a molester than a soccer dad." Discuss #
- 21:32 is trying to log onto the damn I-Pass account so we can use the bugger in PA tomorrow. #
- 22:33 - Katee Sackhoff is a love to be shared with friends. #
