LaBarbera: Illinois Speaker Mike Madigan’s ‘Double Betrayal’ Clears Way for Radical ‘Civil Unions’ Bill

Madigan Has Blocked Marriage Protection for Three Years

News Release

Real Civil Rights Illinois
www.realcivilrights.org

March 23, 2007
Contact: Peter LaBarbera: 630-717-7631

NAPERVILLE, Illinois — Real Civil Rights Illinois Director Peter LaBarbera today called on Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan to allow a floor vote on the constitutional amendment to preserve marriage as between a man and a woman –– after the Speaker allowed two radical homosexual “marriage” bills to be heard in committee.

House Bill 1826, a “civil unions” bill, passed out of the liberal Human Services Committee Wednesday and can now be voted on by the House. Meanwhile, the Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment (HJRCA 1, sponsored by St. Rep. David Reis) has been stuck in the Rules Committee for three years despite wide support among Illinois voters.

Last year, 11,581 Illinois citizens turned in 345,199 signatures to the Board of Elections for an advisory ballot measure calling on the General Assembly to pass a Marriage Protection Amendment.

“Speaker Madigan has orchestrated a double betrayal of pro-marriage voters in Illinois,” LaBarbera said. “If he has any respect for the democratic process, he will use his power to lift his three-year hold on the constitutional marriage amendment and let the House vote on it — just as he cleared the way for a vote on radical ‘civil unions.’”

LaBarbera said the Civil Unions Bill is merely “same-sex-‘marriage’ by another name” and is “the most radical bill undermining marriage and family ever considered in this state.”

Real Civil Rights Illinois is a new statewide organization devoted to upholding genuine civil rights as opposed to the modern counterfeits based homosexuality, abortion and the supposed ‘right’ to view pornography in public libraries. RCR-IL operates under Americans For Real Civil Rights, the C-4 sister organization of Americans For Truth (http://www.americansfortruth.org/).

Citing Madigan’s double-standard of allowing first a “same-sex marriage” bill proposed by homosexual State Rep. Greg Harris, and then Harris’ substitute “civil unions” bill, to proceed to committee, LaBarbera said Speaker Madigan has “shown outrageous contempt for pro-family Illinois voters.”

“Is this the value system of the Illinois Democratic Party –– cynically blocking even a committee vote on marriage protection, then paving the way for the revolutionary redefinition of marriage?” LaBarbera asked. “Why does Speaker Madigan care more about Chicago’s tiny homosexual lobby than hundreds of thousands of Illinois voters who seek to protect marriage as 27 other states have?”