This is a major setback for the marriage equality movement in Illinois:
Latest word from a top Democratic source says votes for same sex marriage bill not there yet, likely will not be called. #twill
Once again, it appears as if gutless Democrats have refused to support a progressive ideal in Illinois. This time, it appears as if Black religious leaders may have convinced enough Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives to oppose SB 10, a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage in Illinois.
One of the Democrats who is believed to have been pressured by Black clergymen in the Chicago area to oppose SB 10 is Eddie Lee Jackson, a Black Democrat from East St. Louis.
To the best of my knowledge, only 2 of the 45 Republicans in the 118-member Illinois House have voiced their support for marriage equality, so it appears that at least 16 Democrats, including Jackson, are opposed to marriage equality.
If no vote is called before midnight tonight, the process to enact marriage equality in Illinois will have to start over from square one, at the earliest, in the fall of this year.
There are no words that can describe how disgusted I am over this. The Democratic Party of Illinois is full of some of the most gutless lawmakers I have ever seen in my life. We have supermajorities in both houses of the General Assembly, yet we can't get progressive ideals like marriage equality enacted.
Also, to those of you who are accusing me of racism, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that "stubborn resistance within the House Black Caucus, a 20-member bloc of African-American lawmakers who have faced a withering lobbying blitz against the plan from black ministers, has helped keep Harris’ legislation in check, with several House members still undecided." (the article in question is behind paywall, and the relevant part of it was quoted here)