UPDATE. Report: Bill killed in committee. "In a vote of 7 to 6 with one abstention the vote never made it out of committee in it's third reading."

Here's some more on the amendment introduced in Illinois which is being seen as a direct attack on the civil union legislation set to come into effect on June 1. The amendment, which has been attached to a bill aiding the blind, would allow religious groups to willfully discriminate against legally-recognized same-sex couples who want to adopt and provide foster care.

The bizarre twist in this is that the amendment was reportedly a bargain made by Senator David Koehler (pictured), who championed civil union legislation in the state:

Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, said he is pushing the adoption measure to fulfill a commitment he made during debate as he shepherded the civil union law through the Senate. A former minister and the father of a lesbian daughter, Koehler said he pledged to civil union opponents that he would craft an amendment this spring to address some of their concerns.

"It was not my intention to force groups to work against their beliefs," Koehler said.

Harris, the House civil union sponsor, said the adoption legislation is a "180-degree change in state policy." Same-sex adoptions have been legal in Illinois since a 1995 appellate court ruling.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois supports the adoption measure, said Robert Gilligan, the group's executive director. Gilligan cast doubt on suggestions that the legislation would reduce adoptions, noting there are more than 50 adoption agencies in Illinois.

Koehler offers another bizarre statement later in the article:

Koehler acknowledged that the measure "hypothetically" could limit placements of children, but said the number would be "relatively few."

"In reality," Koehler said, "I'm not sure how many gay couples would want to go to an organization that didn't honor their lifestyle choices in the first place."

From all I hear, Koehler has till now been seen as a strong LGBT rights advocate. Strange that he would describe being gay or lesbian as a "lifestyle choice"

The bill is reportedly coming up for a vote in committee this morning.