Suburban Mayors Back Same-Sex Marriage Legislation
GENEVA, Ill. (AP) -- Seven mayors from the Chicago suburbs are signing on in support of same-sex marriage legislation.
The group is largely nonpartisan officials from Kane, DuPage, DeKalb and Kendall counties. They are releasing a letter Tuesday through gay marriage advocacy group Illinois Unites for Marriage. They say same-sex couples and their families are suffering because they are denied full protections under Illinois law.
Same-sex marriage legislation passed the state Senate in February but has not been called for a vote in the House.
Activists are targeting moderate suburban Republicans as well as socially conservative members of the largely Democratic House Black Caucus to get the 60 votes needed.
Illinois allowed civil unions in 2011. There are now 14 states, plus Washington D.C., that allow gay marriage.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
