The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting an exclusive tonight that President Barack Obama is urging the Illinois State legislature to adopt marriage equality during its lame duck session
Lynn Sweet, the Washington, D.C. political reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting an exclusive tonight that President Barack Obama is encouraging the Illinois State legislature to pass marriage equality during its lame-duck session that concludes in days.
Sweet quotes Presidential spokesman Shin Inouye on the issue:
“While the president does not weigh in on every measure being considered by state legislatures, he believes in treating everyone fairly and equally, with dignity and respect,” White House spokesman Shin Inouye told the Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday.
“As he has said, his personal view is that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so. Were the President still in the Illinois State Legislature, he would support this measure that would treat all Illinois couples equally,” Inouye said.
The Illinois State legislature is controlled by the Democratic Party in both houses. Â It remains to be seen if Democrats down state, a more conservative region of Illinois, will ultimately support the passage of marriage equality. Â Sweet also reports Republicans are not expected to help pass a marriage equality bill.
One state over to the East, the Ohio Freedom to Marry organization is collecting signatures that would place “the Freedom fo marry and Religious Freedom amendment ballot initiative before voters in November 2013 to affirm the right to marry between same-sex partners.  Currently, marriage activists in the Buckeye state must collect 386,000 by March 2013.  Organizers there are hopeful that Ohio will join the growing list of nine states, the District of Columbia and two Native American tribes, all of whom have legalized marriage for gay couples.
Stay tuned.
Â