SPRINGFIELD-Short of votes, supporters of gay-marriage and bans on military-style weapons and high-powered ammunition won't see their initiatives voted on Thursday in the Illinois Senate, leaving open the question of whether either issue will get a full Senate look next week.
Senate President John Cullerton's office issued a statement, saying that bi-partisan support was necessary for either issue to advance out of the legislative chamber and that more time was needed to round up votes.
"It is clear that we will need bipartisan support in order to take floor votes on gun safety and marriage equality this week," Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said in a prepared statement. "We will take some time to work on these important issues to advance them in the near future."
State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), the chief Senate sponsor of the gay-marriage legislation, told the Chicago Sun-Times that three key absences have hurt efforts Thursday to pass legislation legalizing gay marriage in Illinois.
State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) is in Israel. State Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa) is missing because of her mother's death, and Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne (D-Belleville) had a health issue arise involving a family member, Steans said.
Those absences, coupled with heavy lobbying against the bill from the Archdiocese of Chicago, leave her short of the necessary 30 votes she would need to get her bill out of the Senate before the chamber adjourns for the weekend.
A vote in the Senate Executive Committee on gay marriage was still expected Thursday, even though supporters expecting an 11 a.m. hearing waited more than two hours while the Senate occupied itself with a string of rambling farewell resolutions to departing members.
"The Executive Committee has been delayed," Phelon continued in her statement, "but we still intend to hold a hearing on marriage equality shortly."
Robert Gilligan, director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, said Catholic leaders had discussed the possibility of Cardinal Francis George making direct appeals to legislators with personal phone calls, but Gilligan said it wasn't clear whether that had happened Thursday.
On Sunday, George urged Catholic parishoners throughout Chicago to reach out to legislators to pressure them not to vote for the gay-marriage bill.
Meanwhile, on guns, a floor vote was stymied for the same reason as gay-marriage: key absences.
Gun-rights supporters estimated that the legislation banning military-style guns and the ammunition that feeds them is perhaps three or four votes shy of the necessary 30-vote threshold to pass either one, despite a heavy lobbying push from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn.
No Republicans are for the gun measures, the gun-rights sources said.
But state Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), chief Senate sponsor of the ammunition bill, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Schoenberg's absence, as well as the absence of state Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago), left him short of the support he needed to pass the ammunition bill on the Senate floor.
Someone from some office with a little foresight should check the FBI records for 2011, link attached. See what type of weapons, including hands and feet were used to murder in the country and the state of Illinois.
Then step back and see what the time and money spent on an assault weapons bill is costing or will cost the state. These so called assault weapons, only so called because of their nomenclature aren't the problem. It's a people problem. An attitude problem.
While I'm here, the sanctity of marriage is no place for those of the same sex. Any more than multipule partners or other venues I will not mention. What adults do in their own houses is up to them. Heaven or hell.
I have never seen a gun point and shoot itself. Responsible, legal gun owners have the right to own guns. Just because, as a society, we don't want the person or persons who commit crimes with to be held responsible should not mean we have to ban the weapon. Did we ban airplanes after 911? No. Have we ever banned cars or motor driven vehicles after a massive pileup on a freeway? NO. Did we ban any trains after a passenger train wrecked? NO!! Do something responsible, don't disarm the people who are trying to protect themselves in a society where the police do not have the man power to be everywhere all the time. And who would want that any how. I say we make laws for law abiding citizens to aid in emergency situations instead of just standing by watching. Don't ban on an object that doesn't work without the intervention of a human. Let people keep their guns.
Why are Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. "Squeezy" Quinn trying to disarm the law abiding citizens who elected them? Gun control is great for the criminals, it disarms their victims, so they can do what ever they want to them without fear.
I am 76 and do not have any guns or ammo - as a boy I had a rifle and six gun and tought my son how to shoot and respect the dangers of using a firearm.
My point is - I don't at this time have an interest in acquiring a weapon for enjoyment or protection, but should the urge arise - I want to be able to purchase and own firearms.
Please think of us (those who are not careless and respect the dangers of owning and using a gun or guns) and vote our freedom of choice and uphold the second amendment of our constitution.
Thank you and protect my rights.