State Representatives Greg Harris, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy filed marriage equality legislation in Springfield today. House Bill 5170, aka the "Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act," would allow same-sex marriage in Illinois. more ›

The mood was downright civil at this morning's civil unions ceremony. more ›

Gov. Quinn signed the Civil Unions bill into law yesterday before a raucous and packed house at the Chicago Cultural Center, saying "We believe in civil rights, and we believe in civil unions. We believe in liberty and justice for all." The law, which goes into effect June 1, gives gay and lesbian couples (as well as straight, unmarried couples) many of the same rights as a married couple. These wide ranging rights include making health care decisions for partners; disposing of a loved one's remains; gaining accident and health insurance benefits tied to partners; and granting same-sex couples new standing in probate law and laws relating to estate succession, purchase and distribution of property. more ›

State Rep. Deb Mell, while happy that Gov. Quinn is signing the Civil Unions Bill into law Monday at the Chicago Cultural Center, told WBEZ that Illinois still has a way to go in the gay rights department. Mell still plans on traveling to Iowa, where gay marriage is legal, to wed her fiancée. "(We) sat down with our accountant recently to fill out forms and we had to check 'single,'" Mell said. "And that wasn't true." more ›

In Springfield, House Speaker Michael Madigan is the divining rod when it comes to the status of a pending bill. If he says that SB 1716, which will accord gay couples in civil unions the same rights as straight couples, has a good chance of passing in the state legislature's current veto session, it likely means the votes are there and Gov. Quinn would sign it into law if it passed. more ›

Would Illinois voters support gay marriage or at least civil unions? It's a hot topic, especially in the wake of the recent Prop 8 legal wrangling in California, and one that may not be resolved any time soon. But that didn't stop the Tribune from polling 800 "heads of households" in the six-county Greater Chicagoland area about their opinions on same-sex marriage and civil unions. Among their findings: more ›

The issue of gay marriage will come to the forefront of Illinois politics for a brief period today as State Rep. Deborah Mell plans to address the state legislature about her engagement to her long-time partner, Christin Baker. The pair got engaged on April 10 but won't be getting married in Illinois. That's because there are no laws allowing gay marriage - or even civil unions - in Illinois. Instead, Mell and Baker plan to go to Iowa to be wed, but not before Mell brings up the issue to fellow lawmakers. Mell hopes to light a new spark in the battle for equal rights. Both the Equal Marriage Act (Senate Bill 2468) and The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act (House Bill 2234) remain mired in committee and likely won't see passage any time soon. Talking to Carol Marin on Chicago Tonight, Mell expressed her consternation. more ›

In the Chicago Reader's profile of Joe Laiacona, running for the State House in the 40th District against Blago's sister-in-law Deb Mell, Hunter Clauss mentioned Laiacona's petition challenge to Mell's candidacy, centered on a conflict of Mell's address. But thanks to a ruling earlier this week, the Reader follows-up, it looks like Mell is in the clear. more ›

On the surface, Columbia College instructor and journalist Joe Laiacona's challenge of incumbent State Rep. Deb Mell in the 40th District's Democratic primary in Feb. doesn't seem so unusual beyond the fact that it will be the most high-profile battle between two openly gay contenders in Illinois political history. But Laiacona's decade-plus stint writing a leather/BDSM column certainly ups that ante. more ›

Laws required the newly sworn-in State House to vote again on the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Today's vote wound up at 117-1 in favor of impeachment. Today's lone "no" vote came - unsurprisingly - from freshmen Rep. Deb Mell (D-Chicago), who just happens to be Blago's sister-in-law. [Previous 'no' voter Milt Patterson is no longer a member of the House.] more ›

Just yesterday we were speculating over who would replace outgoing Senator Barack Obama who has a new job. Now we turn our attention to the departing Rahm Emanuel, who even though he was just reelected to his U.S. House seat on Tuesday, is leaving Congress to become Chief of Staff in the Obamistration. Governor Blagojevich, who seems to have plenty on his plate already, will have to set a special election to fill Congressman Rahm's seat (unlike with the Senate seat, where Blago is allowed by law to name a successor). FYI - Rahm holds the same seat (5th District reprezent!) Blago did before he bolted in '02 to become governor. The law requires the special election be held if there is more than 180 days until the next election (in this case, it is - 2 years, actually) and the election must be set within 5 days of the official vacancy. more ›