The state's gay-rights bill, currently parked in the Senate Executive Committee, could get a hearing as early as this week, and lobbyists are gearing up for a rocky road uphill.
"It's very tough to get this bill out of this committee, but if it does I think it would pass," said Sen. John Cullerton ( D-Chicago ) , a lead sponsor of the measure.
HB 101, which would add sexual orientation to the state's Human Rights Act, narrowly passed the House in late March, and activists have been strategizing since then on how best to garner the needed support in the Senate.
The Senate's Executive Committee will meet May 2 and May 9, and the bill could be called at either meeting. But according to Equality Illinois Political Director Rick Garcia, action will probably happen later rather than sooner.
"We have to turn at least two members of the committee to get it out of committee," Garcia said. "It's a rough, rough job."
He applauded the state's constitutional officers, including the governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer and secretary of state, for making calls to senators urging them to support the bill.
"We have our job cut out for us, but we're up to it," Garcia said. "Some people suggested we couldn't even get it out of the House, and we did. It's difficult, but we do have a great team of folks."
The Executive Committee's 13 members include eight Republican senators and five Democrats. Republicans currently control the 59-member Senate, 32-27.
Equality Illinois is calling on the community to contact three committee members in particular to ask for support.
Garcia noted that the districts of two of those senators, Walter Dudycz and Stanley Weaver, are already covered by municipal human-rights ordinances that include sexual orientation.
The three senators EI is targeting are:
Sen. Walter Dudycz
( R-Northwest Chicago )
Statehouse M114
Springfield, IL 62706
( 217 ) 782-3650
( 217 ) 782-0650 ( fax )
sendudycz@aol.com
Sen. Kirk Dillard
( R-Westmont/Hinsdale )
Statehouse M115
Springfield, IL 62706
( 217 ) 782-8148
( 217 ) 782-0650 ( fax )
kdillard@lordbissell.com
Sen. Stanley Weaver
( R-Champaign/Urbana )
Statehouse 329
Springfield, IL 62706
( 217 ) 782-6904
( 217 ) 782-7818 ( fax )
