IFI News Release: Pro-Marriage Amendment Sweep Bodes Well for Illinois Amendment

IFI Asks Speaker Madigan to Stop Blocking Marriage Protection in Illinois After Marriage Amendment Sweep in 11 States including Liberal Oregon.

GLEN ELLYN – The passage of marriage-defense amendments in 11 states on Election Day presages a victory for a similar amendment in Illinois if politicians like House Speaker Mike Madigan would allow it to be put before the voters.

IFI called on Speaker Madigan to stop blocking pro-family efforts to permanently defend marriage in this state and to give the Illinois Marriage Protection Amendment favored consideration in 2005.

Any doubts about how strongly Americans feel about protecting marriage from being radically redefined should be gone after the clean sweep of November 2nd. If a constitutional amendment preserving marriage as one-man, one-woman can pass in liberal Oregon, then we know it will pass in Illinois.

Illinois citizens might have been voting along with those of 11 other states to protect marriage on Nov. 2 had it not been for Speaker Madigan “putting special interest politics ahead of defending marriage.”

Madigan ignored thousands of calls and letters and refused to allow an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman to be considered by the House Rules Committee. Homosexual activists lobbied Madigan heavily to stop the measure, which also denies state recognition to unmarried “civil unions.” Gay activists viciously compared traditional marriage defenders to racists despite polls showing that African-Americans are more opposed to homosexual “marriage” than whites.

A spokesman for Madigan said the amendment is unnecessary due to Illinois’ clear marriage law, but IFI thinks that the House Speaker is wrong because such laws can and probably will be overturned by activist judge.

With radical homosexual groups in Chicago demanding marriage licenses despite Illinois’ clear marriage law, we simply must do all we can to protect this venerable institution.

On Tuesday, voters in 11 states easily passed amendments to preserve marriage as between one man and one woman, by the following percentages:

Arkansas-75%

Georgia-77%

Kentucky-75%

Michigan-59%

Mississippi-86%

Montana-66%

North Dakota-73%

Ohio-62%

Oklahoma-76%

Oregon-57%

Utah-66%

Illinois Family Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan group affiliated with Focus on the Family and Family Research Council that defends marriage, family and the sanctity of life in Illinois. Phone: 630-790-8370 (800-FAMILY-1). www.illinoisfamily.org. IFI, 799 Roosevelt Rd., Suite 3-208, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137. E-mail: info@illinoisfamily.org.