The Illinois House of Representatives has until Friday to pass a marriage equality bill.

Rep. Greg Harris has said he will call the bill for a vote, and at least one lawmaker, LaShawn Ford, said this week that it is partly because of Harris that he is voting in favor of the bill.

Pressure is mounting, the AP reports:

Few members of the House Black Caucus have publicly backed the measure, which would make Illinois the 13th state to allow same-sex marriage.

Caucus members are being lobbied extensively by both sides. Their support is seen as key. Rep. Will Davis of Chicago, who is undecided, urged advocates to "look to the Republican side." Chicago Rep. Emanuel Welch said Wednesday he was "leaning yes," but would not commit to a vote until it is called.

Last night at a Chicago fundraiser, President Obama urged passage of the bill, calling it "the right thing to do."

“Here in Illinois, we've got a vote on same-sex marriage that's going to be coming up in the state legislature,” Obama said. “And I just want to say for the record it's something that I deeply support. I wrestled with this for a long time and I am absolutely convinced it is the right thing to do. And we have to make sure that wherever we go, we are reminding people that the essence of America is that everybody is treated equally under the law without exception.”

The Chicago Tribune says, 'let's get it done.':

We won't pretend this is an easy vote for everyone. But its time has come.

Gov. Pat Quinn, who is eager to sign the bill into law, wants reluctant lawmakers to imagine how a "no" vote will look to future generations. "Years from now, some of your relatives will say, 'Gee, what happened to you back then?'" he said in a recent meeting with the Tribune editorial board. He urged them to "cast a vote for history."

That history is being written every day. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, Maryland, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Minnesota …

Illinois, your chapter is next.