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| | HJ0095 | | LRB097 22073 GRL 70799 r |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, Since being admitted into the Union in 1818, The |
| 3 | | State of Illinois has only recognized marriages between one man |
| 4 | | and one woman; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Constitution of 1970, based on its |
| 6 | | text, history and interpretation, does not confer any right to |
| 7 | | enter into a same-sex marriage, but only a right to enter into |
| 8 | | an opposite-sex marriage; and
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| 9 | | WHEREAS, In 1996, the Illinois General Assembly amended the |
| 10 | | Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to make |
| 11 | | explicit what has always been implicit in our marriage laws: |
| 12 | | that marriage is a relationship that may exist only between one |
| 13 | | man and one woman (Section 201), to prohibit same-sex marriages |
| 14 | | (Section 212(a)(5)), and to state that a marriage between 2 |
| 15 | | persons of the same sex is "contrary to the public policy of |
| 16 | | this State" (Section 213.1); and
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| 17 | | WHEREAS, Federal law recognizes and provides the benefits |
| 18 | | of marriage only to those marriages between a man and a woman; |
| 19 | | and
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| 20 | | WHEREAS, For thousands of years, religious faiths have |
| 21 | | recognized only marriages between one man and one woman; and
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| | HJ0095 | - 2 - | LRB097 22073 GRL 70799 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, By popular vote, 30 states have amended their |
| 2 | | constitutions to reserve marriage as a relationship that may |
| 3 | | exist only between a man and a woman and to prohibit |
| 4 | | recognition of same-sex marriages; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, Two lawsuits have been filed in the Circuit Court |
| 6 | | of Cook County challenging, under the Illinois Constitution, |
| 7 | | the prohibition of same-sex marriage in the Illinois Marriage |
| 8 | | and Dissolution of Marriage Act: Darby, et al. vs. David Orr, |
| 9 | | in his official capacity as Cook County Clerk, Circuit Court of |
| 10 | | Cook County, No. 12 CH 19718; and Lazaro, et al. vs. David Orr, |
| 11 | | in his official capacity as Cook County Clerk, Circuit Court of |
| 12 | | Cook County, No. 12 CH 19719; therefore, be it
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| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
| 14 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE |
| 15 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we show our support for the |
| 16 | | Illinois laws reserving the institution of marriage to one man |
| 17 | | and one woman; and be it further
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| 18 | | RESOLVED, That we oppose any efforts to extend the |
| 19 | | institution of marriage to 2 individuals of the same sex, |
| 20 | | whether by statute or by court decision; and be it further
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| 21 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the members of the General Assembly, |
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| | HJ0095 | - 3 - | LRB097 22073 GRL 70799 r |
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| 1 | | acting under their authority under Article XIV, Section 2 of |
| 2 | | the Illinois Constitution, to adopt House Joint Resolution - |
| 3 | | Constitutional Amendment 50, an amendment to the Illinois |
| 4 | | Constitution stating that "Only a marriage between a man and a |
| 5 | | woman shall be valid or recognized in Illinois", which if |
| 6 | | adopted would be on the ballot at the 2014 General Election; |
| 7 | | and be it further
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| 8 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
| 9 | | delivered to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook |
| 10 | | County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, Cook County Clerk David |
| 11 | | Orr, and all other County Clerks and State's Attorneys in the |
| 12 | | State of Illinois.
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