Illinois General Assembly passes civil unions bill

The Illinois Senate today passed a civil unions bill, which cleared the House yesterday. Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign it.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey responded to the measure’s passage, saying:

Same-sex couples in Illinois today moved closer toward realizing equal treatment under the law. While not a substitute for full legal marriage, this measure provides important protections, rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples, and will help ensure they’re able to take care of each other and their families. This is both fair and humane. We thank Equality Illinois and the many fair-minded people who advocated and fought for this bill. The lawmakers who voted for this legislation did the right thing, and we now look forward to the governor signing it into law.