Illinois House Passes ‘Civil Unions’ after Massive Democrat Push — only Two Republicans Stand in Opposition

House Speaker Mike Madigan, a Catholic, used his considerable power to advance the homosexual agenda in Illinois by successfully pushing for a "civil unions" bill -- even though the state's Catholic Conference urged opposition to the bill.

The following e-Alert was sent out yesterday prior to the House vote. Pathetically, only two downstate Republicans, Rep. Dave Reis (Olney) and Rep. Ron Stephens (Greenville), rose on the floor to speak against this bill — which that takes a giant step toward government promotion of homosexuality in Illinois. Good for Reis and Stephens, and bad for the IL-GOP, which continues to live down to its reputation as one of the weakest Republican parties in the nation when it comes to actually fighting for the conservative GOP Platform.

We hear from a key pro-family lobbyist in Springfield that some “pro-family” legislators lied about their voting intention — saying they would vote against “civil unions” and then caving like cowards under the pressure of Mike Madigan’s and the Democrats’ lobby campaign. Now the vote goes to the Illinois Senate. TAKE ACTION: call your state senator at 217-782-2000 (see below for more info).

And so Illinois, dominated by Chicago and its corrupt Democratic machine, continues its moral descent. Land of Lincoln? In name only, as Abe Lincoln — whom some very troubled homosexual activists have tried to smear as a homosexual (it’s easy when the targeted victim is deceased) — actually revered the Bible, and thus surely respected its moral teachings — including the sinfulness of homosexual behavior and all sex outside of marriage. 

Here is a PDF with the House vote tally, and Illinois Family Institute’s initial story on the vote. And here is the Chicago Tribune story in which the reporter seems surprised that Stephens linked the embrace of homosexuality to the decline of American civilization. No, I’m afraid America is not “special” in that regard: every advance of homosexualist legislation strengthens a powerful perversion movement that ingeniously plays the victim while promoting acceptance of its pet sin in the name of “civil rights.” Aren’t you tired of politicians like Madigan who ignore the teachings of their own church because they presume to be smarter than God?  — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

____________________________

AFTAH’s e-Alert sent out Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010:

Dear Illinois Readers,
 
TAKE ACTION TODAY!  If you are an Illinois resident and care about marriage, it is imperative that you make your voice known NOW about the “Civil Unions” bill that liberal Democrats are pushing in the lame-duck session in Springfield!  A vote could come today, tomorrow or at any time before the new session if they extend the lame-duck Veto Session.  Call your state legislators at 217-782-2000 (find them here: www.ilga.gov or use your your zip code to find them here: www.congress.org; or call IFI at 708-781-9328 and get the information).  Dem power-brokers like Rahm Emmanuel, Lisa Madigan, and her powerful father Mike Madigan are lobbying hard to pass Civil Unions.  They are cutting deals to get votes for this bill (S.B. 1716) — so “We the People” must act now to defend real marriage and resist their pro-“gay” machinations! 
 
LaBARBERA on WYLL; CHICAGOLAND RADIO AUDIENCE: Today [Nov. 30] I will be appearing as a guest on the Janet Mefford Show on WYLL-AM 1160 from 3:30-4:00 Central Time to discuss the Civil Unions threat in Illinois — and the national Democrat push in the Senate to repeal the common-sense ban on homosexuals in the military.  Please listen in.
 
HOW TO CALL: Call the Capitol Switchboard in Springfield at 217-782-2000.  If you don’t know who your representatives are, call IFI at 708-781-9328 or go to www.congress.org.  You don’t need the bill number; just say, “Please oppose the Civil Unions bill.”  Call your representatives immediately, then send this alert to your Illinois friends and all your contacts who have an Illinois connection and ask them to do the same.  But they must act NOW.   Please also call your church and your friends and urge them to make their voices heard! 
 
My pro-family sources including IFI’s Dave Smith tell me that the vote is getting closer on this bill due to the Dem leadership’s wheeling-dealing.  See this article at the top of the Illinois Family Institute website: http://www.illinoisfamily.org/news/contentview.asp?c=35089 about the Democrats’ intense push to pass this misguided bill during the Veto Session (a vote could come today, tomorrow or at any time if they extend the session).  — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org
 
THIS JUST IN! … REPUBLICANS, TOO?  We have just learned that at least one prominent Republican, Comptroller-elect Judy Baar Topinka, has joined the Democrats in lobbying for the homosexual Civil Unions bill; after you have called your own representatives, call Topinka at 877-751-5839 and urge her to stop her anti-family, pro-“gay” advocacy. Then call or write the IL-GOP at 217-525-0011 or 312-201-9000 and urge them to stay faithful to the Republican Party’s pro-family and pro-marriage plank.  (Baar Topinka is no surprise, she used to march every year in the annual Chicago “Gay Pride” parade and has a history of undermining the GOP Platform; here is her Facebook page and her web page. However, IL-GOP Chairman Pat Brady recently opined, on Tom Roeser’s WLS radio show, that a conservative case could be made for “gay marriage.” Brady is dead wrong.)
_____________________________________________
 
Background: “Gay Marriage” by Another Name
“Civil unions” is merely the Homosexual Lobby’s false-compromise way-station to get their real prize of “gay marriage.”  SB 1716 gives all the rights and benefits of marriage to unmarried couples (homosexual or heterosexual!).  As IFI reports, pro-family and pro-life veteran Penny Pullen, a former state lawmaker and the current president of Eagle Forum of Illinois, warns that the passage of a civil unions law would:

• Force employers to grant registered same-sex cohabiters the benefits currently provided for spouses of married employees.
• Undermines the unique position which marriage holds in our society as the foundation of the family.
• Cost taxpayers by adding unrelated persons to health insurance coverage for public employees and as dependents under workers compensation benefits.
• Force employee benefit costs to rise in the private sector.
• Likely lead to mandates on schools to teach quasi-spousal relationships as equivalent to marriage (based on experience in other states).

Of course, the bill — since it covers heterosexuals — would also give guys and girls “shacking up” just one more incentive NOT to get married.  Is that sensible public policy in this era in which marriage is already in danger of becoming obsolete?  Illinois is not Denmark; we value marriage in the Heartland!
 
The ultimate irony of this capitulation to the Homosexual Lobby is that liberal activist judges in other states have used the passage of state “civil union” or “domestic partner” laws to impose the legalization of “same-sex marriage” — the very thing homosexual activist claim will NOT result from this bill.  (Wink, wink … if you believe that, then did you hear that the Democratic National Committee has just issued a public apology for its decades of advocacy against the right of unborn children to live?!  .. That’s a joke… but what’s not a joke is how the Democratic Party has become the Party of Abortion and Homosexuality.  Shame.)
 
It is the height of arrogance, yet typical in this corrupt blue state, for Democratic politicians to attempt to ram this groundbreaking bill through the legislature before Springfield becomes more Republican — and more pro-family — next year.  This is all about payback by Gov. Pat Quinn to his powerful “gay” friends and left-wing allies after his narrow election victory (which was all about the economy — not radical social experiments and the normalization of homosexuality). 
 
Let’s not let them get away with this outrageous Special Interest power grab!  Call Springfield at 217-782-2000.  If you don’t know who your representatives are, call IFI at 708-781-9328 or go to www.congress.org. 
 
Thank you for taking action on this latest threat to marriage and morality (including our children: this bill would definitely help those seeking to use our public schools to normalize homosexuality to impressionable students.   We must not let the Secular Left impose its IM-morality on the state of Illinois — by passing legislation that would result in the loss of Christians’ freedom to live out their beliefs! 
 
Please pray and act for victory here, and God bless you.
 
Sincerely in Christ,
 
Peter LaBarbera
Americans For Truth About Homosexuality
www.aftah.org
 
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. — 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

_______________________________________________________
 
Resources: 
Here is a wonderful report on the Civil Unions bill by my friend and IFI analyst Laurie Higgins: “Civil Unions: One Step Closer to the Destruction of Marriage”; http://www.illinoisfamily.org/news/contentview.asp?c=35081
 
Here is an excellent statement by the Catholic Conference of Illinois and Cardinal Francis George AGAINST the Civil Unions bill: http://www.illinoisfamily.org/content/img/f35089/catholic-conference-press-release-sb1716.pdf
 
Here is a copy of S.B. 1716, the “Civil Unions” bill: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB1716ham001.pdf
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
AFTAH Nears Full Match for Generous $20,000 Grant! Help Us Complete the Match!
 
Americans For Truth About Homosexuality is almost there in matching a $20,000 grant to AFTAH to help us fight the well-heeled Homosexual Lobby. Please help put us over the top with your tax-deductible gift of $1,000, $500, $100, $50, $25 or whatever you can give: www.americansfortruth.com/donate/. Or mail your gift to:
 
Americans For Truth
PO Box 5522
Naperville, IL 60567-5522
 
FREE BOOK:  All who give $100 or more toward the match grant will receive a free copy of the late Dr. Charles Socarides’ book, “Homosexuality: A Freedom Too Far.” You can give online using a credit card or PayPal at www.americansfortruth.com/donate.  

TRUTH ACADEMY TAPES: The CDs from the AFTAH Truth Academy are now available. You can order DVDs or CDs of our recent Truth Academy: Chicago 2010 via fax or regular mail using our Online Order Form HERE. Contact us at americansfortruth@gmail.com.
 
JOIN THE AFTAH ‘TRUTH TEAM’: Please also consider becoming a monthly AFTAH “Truth Team” Partner with your regular pledge of $250, $100, $50 or $25/month to Americans For Truth; sign up at http://americansfortruth.com/membership.php.  Thank you for standing with us!