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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Since being admitted into the Union in 1818, The
3State of Illinois has only recognized marriages between one man
4and one woman; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Illinois Constitution of 1970, based on its
6text, history and interpretation, does not confer any right to
7enter into a same-sex marriage, but only a right to enter into
8an opposite-sex marriage; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1996, the Illinois General Assembly amended the
10Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to make
11explicit what has always been implicit in our marriage laws:
12that marriage is a relationship that may exist only between one
13man and one woman (Section 201), to prohibit same-sex marriages
14(Section 212(a)(5)), and to state that a marriage between 2
15persons of the same sex is "contrary to the public policy of
16this State" (Section 213.1); and
 
17    WHEREAS, Federal law recognizes and provides the benefits
18of marriage only to those marriages between a man and a woman;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, For thousands of years, religious faiths have
21recognized only marriages between one man and one woman; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, By popular vote, 30 states have amended their
2constitutions to reserve marriage as a relationship that may
3exist only between a man and a woman and to prohibit
4recognition of same-sex marriages; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Two lawsuits have been filed in the Circuit Court
6of Cook County challenging, under the Illinois Constitution,
7the prohibition of same-sex marriage in the Illinois Marriage
8and Dissolution of Marriage Act: Darby, et al. vs. David Orr,
9in his official capacity as Cook County Clerk, Circuit Court of
10Cook County, No. 12 CH 19718; and Lazaro, et al. vs. David Orr,
11in his official capacity as Cook County Clerk, Circuit Court of
12Cook County, No. 12 CH 19719; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
15SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we show our support for the
16Illinois laws reserving the institution of marriage to one man
17and one woman; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That we oppose any efforts to extend the
19institution of marriage to 2 individuals of the same sex,
20whether by statute or by court decision; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we urge the members of the General Assembly,

 

 

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1acting under their authority under Article XIV, Section 2 of
2the Illinois Constitution, to adopt House Joint Resolution -
3Constitutional Amendment 50, an amendment to the Illinois
4Constitution stating that "Only a marriage between a man and a
5woman shall be valid or recognized in Illinois", which if
6adopted would be on the ballot at the 2014 General Election;
7and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
9delivered to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook
10County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, Cook County Clerk David
11Orr, and all other County Clerks and State's Attorneys in the
12State of Illinois.