BREAKING: Illinois Senate committee approves marriage equality bill

An Illinois Senate committee has approved legalizing same-sex marriage for the second time in a month. The Executive Committee voted 9-5 Tuesday to move legislation giving marital rights to same sex couples to the Senate floor. Democrats with a 40-member majority say they have the needed votes. The same committee OK’d a similar measure just after the New Year — in the final days of the last General Assembly. But a floor vote was scuttled because supporters feared they were short of the 30 necessary votes. Sponsoring Sen. Heather Steans reworded the legislation at insistence of Republicans.