A civil union bill (HB 2234) is headed to the House floor after receiving a narrow 5-4 approval from the Illinois House Youth and Family Committee committee:
"The measure would not legalize same-sex marriages, but it would
grant gay couples many of the benefits of marriage. They would have
the right to visit their partners in hospitals, make medical
decisions and more. Opponents argue that civil unions amount to gay marriage by
another name."
