Illinois Senate President: ‘Timing is right’ to pass marriage equality

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said Monday that the timing is right to legalize same-sex marriage, providing a glimpse of what’s ahead in the spring legislative session. Cullerton (D-Chicago), speaking to the City Club of Chicago, said he expects to call for a vote “very early on in the session” on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which would grant gay and lesbian couples in Illinois the freedom to marry. Advocates have been pushing for legislation that offers same-sex couples marriage rights currently only available to heterosexual couples, and are hoping to capitalize on momentum from other states and President Barack Obama’s support.